Cleanup Day 2024

On World Cleanup Day 2024 (20 September), the NGO BeUp launched its pilot project as part of SDGs on the move, organising a joint clean-up in the Völser and Kranebitter Innauen near Innsbruck in collaboration with the Austrian Federal Forestry Office, Upstreamsurfing and the MK Youth Centre. The Kranebitter Innau is part of the Telfs forest district, where we also promote respectful treatment of nature as part of the ‘Respect Nature’ campaign.

Together with regional representative Anton Vorauer, the exciting Au ecosystem was discovered and cleared of rubbish. The special conservation area has been protected since 1993 and is under enormous pressure from users. The Völser Innau in particular is a popular party location, and on the Kranebitter side there is a sunbathing lawn in the middle of the conservation area.

The two areas opposite each other near Innsbruck represent an enormously important ecological niche in the Inn Valley, as ‘floodplains have been severely affected by motorway and housing construction in recent decades, which is why the protection of such small remaining protected areas is particularly important,’ according to regional representative Anton Vorauer. Over 100 species of breeding birds nest in the two protected areas, including some strictly protected species such as the kingfisher. This bird is finding fewer and fewer habitats as many ponds and forests have had to make way for other uses. 

The remaining areas, such as the Völser and Kranebitter Innauen, are also under enormous pressure from litter. Everything from cigarette butts to shopping trolleys and advertising banners was found. Unofficial barbecue areas were also removed to prevent others from copying them. In total, over 100 kg of rubbish was removed from the two areas, including carelessly discarded rubbish and almost deliberate dumping.

Following the clean-up, the day was celebrated with a barbecue at the Upstreamsurfing site. Upstreamsurfing offers a surfing experience right on the Inn River and has repeatedly campaigned for the preservation of this important habitat in the past. Afterwards, the film One.way.boat by BeUp about litter pollution in the Danube was shown. The film highlights microplastic pollution in the Danube. As the Inn is a tributary of the Danube, the problem was thus placed in a larger, global context. The film can also be found on YouTube on the BeUp channel.

During conversations while cleaning up and at the end of the day, the topics were repeatedly placed in the global context of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). In particular, they related to the loss of habitat in water (SDG 14) and on land (SDG 15), the waste problem (SDG 12) and global environmental pollution (SDG 6). The worldwide clean-up campaigns on World Cleanup Day contribute to the preservation of the remaining natural habitats.

One participant in the campaign summed up the experience as follows: ‘After the campaign, we realised how big the waste problem really is. There is still a lot of work to be done, but a start has been made. Overall, however, a major rethink is probably necessary to really implement environmental protection.’

Overall, the campaign was very successful and we would like to thank all our partners for their fantastic cooperation! Further campaigns will take place in the Innsbruck area over the coming months and there are already plans to repeat the clean-up next year.