Initiative to keep Ekonomikum Park clean
Thirteen tonnes of waste. That was the amount left lying on the ground in Ekonomikum Park in 2023. Photo: Johan Wahlgren
The motto for the celebration of the last day of April is “secure, tidy and safe”. The event is a collaboration between the University, the Swedish Police, the region and the municipality, along with some 40 other organisations. This year, an extra effort is being made to keep Ekonomikum Park clean.
Thirteen tonnes of waste. That was the amount left lying on the ground in Ekonomikum Park in 2023. This situation causes a whole lot of cut injuries, as well as a sense of insecurity in the park. To deal with this, Destination Uppsala, which is responsible for the celebrations in the park, is making a major effort to collect both waste and deposit containers.
The campaign, which has been given the name “Släng-ditt-skräp-borg” (“Bin-your-waste-borg”), has been developed with the help of behavioural change experts. The main idea of the campaign is that you, the visitor, will donate your waste, as LF Uppsala and Akademiska Hus will donate 1 krona for each kilogram of waste collected over the holiday to Uppsala University Hospital’s children’s fund. Some details include:
- Increasing the number and accessibility of waste disposal stations
- Providing bin bags
- Waste patrols to collect waste
- Trash-cam.
In addition, Pantamera will come with a deposit van, where all deposits on returnable containers will also be donated to the children’s fund.
The celebrations on the last day of April usually attract many people, not just students but Uppsala residents and visitors of all ages.
“We expect about 150,000 people to take part in the celebrations in total, with getting on for 30,000 in Ekonomikum Park. We hope and believe we can all help to keep our surroundings clean,” says Gisella Bengtsson, project manager at the Communications Division, Uppsala University.
Annica Hulth
The Last Day of April
The Last Day of April, May Day Eve or Valborg. No matter what we call it, it’s the most important student festival of the year in Uppsala, with picnics in Ekonomikum Park, the donning of student caps on the hill below Carolina Rediviva, the running of the falls, spring songs by the Gunilla Bell and much more.