"The 2024 Green Kayak season has proven that environmental protection and fun can go hand in hand," said Jens Kerstan, Senator for the Environment. The volunteers made a practical contribution to protecting the environment. "This campaign raises awareness of the importance of clean water and the amount of waste that unnecessarily ends up in our natural environment," he added. Some 1,945 paddlers took to the waterways in Hamburg and collected 3,062 kilos of rubbish, demonstrating the effectiveness of joint environmental action.
Three tonnes less waste removed from Hamburg's waterways - trawling for rubbish not fish
Waterways in Hamburg became significantly cleaner in 2024. Paddlers collected more than three tonnes of waste from Lake Alster, the canals, the Gose-Elbe and the Bille, according to the Impact Report by the Danish non-governmental organisation, Green Kayak, a press release said in October. This year, volunteers borrowed free kayaks from five hire stations to help clean up waterways backed by the Ministry for the Environment, Climate, Energy and Agriculture in Hamburg.
Almost 2,000 paddlers in action
Collaboration to continue in 2025
Green Kayak launched its pan-European initiative initially from Hamburg. The ministry has backed the initiative for six years and will do so again next year. The network now has 42 branches in five European countries. This year, around 18,000 paddlers worldwide collected 30 tonnes of waste.
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