Cleanup action in Albania as well

Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj joined the volunteers in the Peza area, where he praised their commitment to contributing to keeping the environment clean. “Today we joined a initiative that is taking place in 150 countries around the world, but what we care most about is the way the initiative works in Albania, so I am very happy that volunteers have responded to us in every corner of Tirana. We have organised 27 teams on all 27 administrative units, with a special focus on schools, gardens, nests -- the public spaces where we will expect the future of Tirana on Monday -- but also our historic sites”, Veliaj said.

The mayor underlined that Tirana today is much cleaner than before and that environmental care extends not only to the centre, but also to rural areas. “Today Tirana is much cleaner, but good news ends, may be even cleaner; there is no reason that if the centre is clean, the suburbs and the Peza, where we will expect thousands of people this weekend, who if they find it clean, will probably leave it clean after finishing the activities that commemorate the Festival of Peza”, he said.

Veliaj stressed that it is very important for this action to be successful, in addition to the commitment of Tirana's municipality, citizens' participation and engagement are needed. He therefore urged parents to set their own example for young children.

I would like to invite all citizens, who as we prepare to take our children to school on Monday, the greatest lesson we teach by example. If parents clean themselves, keep clean, don't leave the trash in the elevator, don't pollute under the palace, the children have certainly received their first lesson before going to school. So the best lessons are what we teach by example. The municipality has set a personal example, we will continue to do it every day, but we need the alliance of one million citizens”, Veliaj said, while stressing that the work done these times has produced positive results with already a cleaner environment.

I'd like to thank a lot of Gren Lineʹ that as a year is the initiative to clean Tirana up in one day. Between year and year, because of the stock, there was less garbage to clean. It means that we can improve, we can emancipate, we can develop and we can develop. This is very positive”, Veliaj said.

Tirana's municipality has undertaken a series of initiatives aimed at sensibicising citizens and their education in waste disposal or management.