Litter in Wassenaar
Litter is an eyesore for many people. It is all the waste that - consciously or unconsciously - is left behind or ends up in places where it does not belong, such as on the streets or in nature. Litter consists mainly of cigarette butts, chewing gum and packaging waste such as candy wrappers, bottles, cans and French fry trays. Preventing litter is a shared responsibility, but everyone can also help in cleaning it up.
Facts and figures
Much litter remains indefinitely if it is not cleaned up. This is waste made of glass, aluminum, plastic (such as PET bottles) or containing microplastics (cigarette butts). Plastic waste crumbles, but the microplastics always remain. Other types of waste do break down, but the breakdown time can vary greatly. Some figures at a glance:
| Product | Abort time |
|---|---|
| Banana peel | 1 year |
| Cigarette butt | Infinite |
| Chewing Gum | At least 20 years |
| Tin | Minimum 50 years |
| Pet bottle | Infinite |
Taking action yourself
Would you like to take action yourself, for example, by cleaning up litter? That is appreciated! Not only by the municipality, but also by local residents. Picking up every little bit helps. Other initiatives are also welcome. Do you have a question, or need help? Then contact the municipality at 14070. We will be happy to help you.
The Wassenaar berm brigade
Like us, do you want Wassenaar's roadsides and streets to not be overgrown with cans, mouth caps, handkerchiefs, cigarette butts and lots of plastic litter? Join us! The Wassenaar Verge Brigade is a group of volunteers of more than thirty people, dedicated to making Wassenaar cleaner. We make arrangements through our Facebook page and/or Whatsapp to tackle Wassenaar neighborhoods and districts together. We do this every Saturday morning, but you can also join us occasionally. Because we know: litter attracts dirt and we want to prevent that. Some roadside brigadiers use the Totally Green app when cleaning up. With this app you can see where in Wassenaar they have recently cleaned up. Would you like to join us sometime? Sign up with Maria Bellekom - Vogels 06 5135 9334. We provide materials, such as prickers, glove and garbage bags.
What is the municipality doing about litter?
In Wassenaar municipality, its own employees ensure that the streets are cleaned and littered. Approximately 15 full garbage bags of litter are filled weekly. In addition, the municipality's 420 litter bins (excluding the beach) are emptied weekly. The litter project Grondstofjutters has been running successfully on the beach for several years. This is something you, as a beachgoer, can also participate in! Through educational programs, support of local initiatives and litter communication, the municipality wants to prevent more litter as well as encourage residents to pick up litter themselves.
Are you experiencing a nuisance from litter and need help from the municipality to fix it? Then you can report it through our municipality notification system .
Want to learn more about litter and its effects?
Then check out