One man’s trash is another man’s treasure and under a new scheme launched in Berlin on Wednesday, residents and visitors alike will be encouraged to collect rubbish in return for various rewards.<\/p>\n
Under the programme dubbed “BerlinPay”, litter-picking is one of a range of activities which will be rewarded with benefits such as canoe tours, restaurant discounts and free museum tickets.<\/p>\n
The pilot scheme will run until June 14 and is heavily focused on the Spree river which runs through the German capital and on encouraging “sustainable water tourism”.<\/p>\n
As well as the Spree, Berlin is ringed by a series of lakes and other waterways popular with visitors, particularly in the summer months.<\/p>\n
“Water tourism in Berlin is booming and represents a significant economic factor, but it also leaves an impact,” said one of the city’s deputy mayors Franziska Giffey.<\/p>\n
“Through this initiative, we invite Berliners and their guests to experience Berlin in a more mindful way,” Sabine Wendt, CEO of the city’s tourist board, told a press conference on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
To take part, participants can sign up on the visitBerlin platform and volunteer for activities from among some 5,000 options ranging from planting a flower or watering trees to cycling instead of travelling by car.<\/p>\n
Around 40 partner businesses, associations, and museums are taking part in the campaign by offering rewards in exchange for environmentally responsible actions.<\/p>\n
Beyond helping preserve the Spree and Berlin’s other bodies of water, the main idea is to raise awareness among tourists and residents about protecting the local environment.<\/p>\n
The scheme is directly inspired by the “CopenPay” program launched in Copenhagen in 2024.<\/p>\n
There, 75,000 tourists took part during the first month of the trial. Bike rentals increased by 29 percent and tons of rubbish were collected.<\/p>\n
If the project proves successful in Berlin, Giffey says the city will make the initiative an annual event.<\/p>\n
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