Sometimes numbers speak louder than any campaign. The „Cleanup Weekend 2026" action brought together 70,688 participants who in one weekend collected 684,777 kilograms of waste - nearly 685 tons of garbage pulled out of nature, parks, and public spaces across the country.

Behind the bare figures stands something more important. When over seventy thousand people voluntarily turn out with gloves and bags, it shows that the will for a cleaner environment exists - and that the problem isn't with the citizens, but with the system that doesn't otherwise collect those 685 tons regularly. Because the garbage the volunteers gathered didn't fall from the sky; it had lain there for months, where the institutions hadn't reached or hadn't wanted to reach.

And here lies the hidden point of every such action. Voluntary cleanup is fine, inspiring, and worthy of respect - but it mustn't become an excuse for the regular utility services not doing their job. If in one weekend citizens pull out 685 tons of waste, the question isn't only „well done, volunteers," but also „where were the officials paid to do it." A clean nature shouldn't depend on enthusiasm once a year - it should be a standard, not an event.