Rubbish piles up in open areas of Istanbul

ISTANBUL

With the increase in temperatures during the summer, more people in Istanbul are spending time in open areas and leaving their rubbish behind, resulting in a significant environmental issue for the city, local media has reported.

According to reports, during the scorching hot days in Istanbul, most residents flock to green areas and leave without picking up after themselves.

The rubbish in Kadıköy's most frequented weekend spots, Moda, Fenerbahçe Park and Kalamış Park, causes unpleasant scenes especially during morning hours.

The fact that citizens leave their rubbish in the preferred areas for walking and sitting at the weekend makes the work of the cleaning staff more difficult.

The cleaning workers, who have been working non-stop, said the piles of rubbish could have been avoided if “people were more careful not to pollute the environment and more considerate about the workers who clean the streets.”

Another cleaning worker in Kadıköy complained about citizens throwing their rubbish everywhere, leaving empty bottles, cans and snack wrappers on benches, even though there are several bins around.

“There are three rubbish bins in the toilet, but they throw their rubbish on the sides instead of inside the bins.”

A local who takes regular walks on the beach also complained about the trash piles alongside the walking trails in Kalamış, stating that strict inspections should be carried out on open areas regarding this issue and residents should be encouraged to pick up their trash before they leave the area.

In Üsküdar, where the local municipality had previously banned citizens from throwing the shells of nuts and sunflower seeds they eat on the coastlines from Harem to Küçüksu in 2020, it was reported that many people do not comply with the ban despite the warning signs.