The world is a bit different these days, we are all still living under various pandemic induced restrictions, many events are cancelled, and many others have become online only. But that doesn't work for everything, and definitely not for an event that entirely revolves around interacting with the environment around you.
But Let's Do It has been facing challenges and changes since 2008, and the Lithuanian branch of the organisation aren't going to let a global pandemic or a whole new team stand in the way. Even though the country is still under quarantine restrictions, the national event to clean up public spaces will take place this Friday and Saturday, May 7th-8th, just in a slightly different format than in previous years.
Toma Buivydaitė, the Communications Manager at Mes Darom, explains: "After a break of a year, the campaign returns with a new, visionary slogan - 'Let's do it to the end. Collect. Sort. Deliver!' - In retrospect, the campaign has always been dedicated to the cleanup of public spaces, and we are not going to change this aspect. We want to emphasize that spring is not just a time to clean warehouses and houses - we can do that all year round, so when the weather warms up, we invite you to get out in nature. We go to the forest, park or nature trail with a garbage bag. I am glad that during the more than ten years of the campaign, public habits have changed significantly, so naturally, it is time for the format of the campaign to be renewed. In a sense, the global pandemic has provided an opportunity to look at the campaign in an innovative way."
The changes this year make it possible to take part in a big organised action without actually interacting too closely with a lot of other people. Participants will use a newly created mobile app, which will show the areas that need to be covered, and users will mark where they are cleaning up. The app will also show locations where campaign volunteers will be waiting to give out sorting bags.
The biggest difference this year is that participants are responsible for the entire process themselves, not only to collect the bags, pick up and sort the waste, but then also to deliver it to regional waste management centres or dispose of it in city containers. If you really can't get the trash you have collected to waste centre, because it's just too heavy or far away, the app also offers the possibility of organising a collection.
Toma envisions a world where these kind of cleanup actions are not needed at all, "If we have learned to pick up reusable bags when going shopping, maybe now we can get used to picking up garbage bags when we go out into nature."
For now though, if you are in Lithuania with a mobile phone and few spare hours this weekend, why not download the app, get outside, and make a difference.
You can find out more about the action and how to download the app at the official site: mesdarom.lt
