TOURISM CHIEF TALKS RUBBISH
Deputy PM unveils ‘Litter Picking Marathon’ with 40,000TL prize pot
CASH prizes totalling 40,000TL will be on offer to teams of people who pick up litter from around the TRNC as part of a new “zero waste” initiative announced by the government on Wednesday.
The “Litter Picking Marathon” is being spearheaded by the Deputy Prime Ministry and Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Environment with the aim of raising public awareness about environmental protection.
The project is being jointly run by the Environmental Protection Department and the Youth Federation and will begin next month.
Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Environment, Fikri Ataoğlu, alongside officials from the Environmental Protection Department and representatives of the Youth Federation, revealed details of the plans at a joint press conference in Lefkoşa.
The Litter Picking Marathon will unfold across various regions of North Cyprus on each Saturday
in May.
Commencing in Girne on May 4, subsequent “marathons” will be held in Lefkoşa on May 11, Gazimağusa on May 18, and Güzelyurt-Lefke on May 25.
Teams participating in the event will vie for awards in three categories: “collecting the most litter”, “collecting the most recyclable
waste” and “collecting the most glass bottles”.
The litter-picking “champions” will be honoured during an awards ceremony planned for June 5, World Environment Day, at Girne’s antique harbour.
Teams, comprising of four members, can register for the event via the Youth Federation’s social media channels, officials announced.
Expressing optimism for a “high level” of participation in the contest, Minister Ataoğlu said: “We aim to regularly organise this event, which has been launched with the youth.
“We hope this will be an exemplary project to raise public awareness about environmental protection.”