The Municipality of Albertslund is to become cleaner. The local council has therefore decided in connection with the adoption of Budget 2005 to launch a new model for cleaning the municipality.

The administration has asked for a legal opinion, and this opinion estimates that it is possible to introduce user payment for cleaning of public areas that are not covered by the act on public roads (roads, paths, squares and open spaces). At the same time it is assessed that it will not be expedient to finance cleaning of an area both through general taxes and consumer fees. Cleaning of a certain type of area should be financed either through fees or through the general tax.

The local council, against this background, has decided to finance cleaning of nature and park areas through fees. 

The project is at this stage a trial scheme limited to 2005. The local council has decided that the scheme is to be evaluated in connection with the User group’s assessment of Budget 2006. On the basis of the results of the evaluation and the recommendation of the User group, the local council will decide whether the scheme should continue in 2006.

Anchorage perspectives

At the present time, it has not been decided finally how many stakeholders should be involved in the project, but so far the following considerations have been made:

Residential areas

Residential areas are involved, for example, by:

Appointing ambassadors in the different residential areas, assisting the municipality with information on where cleaning is called for, placing dog dirt bags in the bins etc.

Having cleaning of outdoor spaces being a permanent issue during the Municipality’s Green Day at the civic amenity site.

Conducting, in connection with the Green Day, a campaign like the well-known ”spring cleaning” and/or a campaign on removal of unused bicycles.

Coordinating a campaign on ”spring cleaning” with, as appropriate, extra cleaning in the housing associations.

Extending the cooperation between the municipality and the housing associations in relation to the borderline between public and private areas, including informing on complaints that the other party should react on.

Extending the municipality’s website with ample information on the project, including possibilities for reading about the different efforts, links to the civic amenity site’s call-centre, competitions etc.

Ensuring that there are links to the project on the websites of housing associations/house-owners’ associations.

Enterprises

Enterprises are involved, for example, by:

Conducting a campaign directed at the enterprises informing them about their duties in terms of cleaning. It may be considered to put focus on enterprises producing or selling things that end up as litter.

Using the environmental newspaper to inform about the project, including referring to the call-centre.

Having enterprises/shops backing a campaign such as ”spring cleaning”  (have posters in the shop, sponsor prizes for cleaning competitions etc.)

Conducting a campaign where all shops in the Mall of Albertslund go out with a broom every morning at 10 for an entire week.

The Danish Forest and Nature Agency

The Danish Forest and Nature Agency is involved by:

The municipality entering in a dialogue with the Agency about how to coordinate the cleaning efforts of the municipality and the Forest Authority. 

Exploring the possibilities for coupling children and the forest through ”the-forest-in-the-school” activities.

Schools

Schools are involved, for example, by:

Working consciously with cleaning as a topic and thus starting awareness-raising.

Selecting a class at each school to act as ”waste sheriffs”.

Participating in the municipality’s campaign week with special focus on cleaning and helping to clean/collect waste.

Organising a competition on logo/slogan at the schools, who collect most waste, make the best poster, or invent a good way of keeping clean.

Distributing caps/t-shirts with logo.

Having experienced cleaning staff make lectures in the classes about ”where it is worst” and ”how much does it actually cost”.

Organising treasure hunts in one of the parks with posts dealing with cleaning.

Associations

Associations are involved, for example, by:

Organising a race for the associations where ”cleaning” is the topic (e.g. orienteering with posts dealing with cleaning).

Putting focus on waste and cleaning in connection with selected outdoor events, festivals etc.

Conclusion and recommendations

The project is still in a very early stage.

Anchorage model ­ - Where is the project placed in the model   

The model describes the relationship between hard and soft indicators in the short and long-term perspectives. The number of x’es states how much weight has been put on the different areas.