'1001 Tonnes' Steinfort Exhibition to Raise Awareness of Littering

The municipality Steinfort will present an exhibition by photographer Jessica Theis, entitled “1001 tonnes”, aiming to raise awareness of the reality of littering in Luxembourg in Steinfort, Billerwee from Monday 18 March and will end around mid-May 2024.

According to the latest study (from 2015) by the Luxembourg Environment Agency, 1001 tonnes of waste are thrown away or illegally disposed of in nature every year in Luxembourg.

Natur&ëmwelt, a leading conservation NGO in Luxembourg, launched the first "Grouss Botz"(big clean-up) campaign more than 50 years ago. Every spring, the nature conservation organisation invites all municipalities in the country to join forces with their associations and private individuals to organise a clean-up campaign in the countryside. The "Grouss Botz" is now an established part of the local manifestation calendar. According to Frédérique Theisen, Communications Officer at the municipality of Steinfort, the local Grouss Botz is organised once a year in March and always counts around 100-130 participants (inhabitants and clubs).

The "Grouss Botz" aims to raise public awareness and takes place in March or early April. This is due to the still barren hedges and bushes allowing for better visibility of the rubbish lying around in nature. During this time, it is also highly unlikely that there is snow, which further facilitates the task of picking up rubbish. Furthermore, this time is before the breeding season for most birds, minimising the risk of negative impact on nature. Natur&ëmwelt generally recommend avoiding clean-up actions between mid-April and the end of August as this could disturb forest animals. Nevertheless, during a walk, it is always possible to ”pick up any rubbish you find along the way”, the organisation noted.

Discussing this project, Jessica Theis explained that this is not a “fairy tale” or a “title to dream about” but the reality of littering in Luxembourg. The 1.6 kg of litter per inhabitant per year, multiplied by 626,000 inhabitants adds up to a total of 1001 tonnes of litter per year. This costs the Grand Duchy €1.2 million per year (90% personnel costs, 4.8% collection and transport costs and 5.2% disposal costs).

According to the organisation Pickitup Asbl, the largest fraction by far is plastic rubbish. Beyond looking unappealing, rubbish also has serious consequences. Animals may swallow it, suffer serious internal injuries and die a very painful death. Throwing away or leaving litter (cigarette butts, chewing gum, empty packaging...) in nature is illegal and can lead to fines (e.g. €49 for a cigarette butt thrown on the pavement or €250 for dumping litter in a watercourse).

Jessica Theis, noted that she photographed the various items people throw away or leave behind: from bathtubs in the forest, to wrappers, tin cans and cigarette butts. Her project also aimed to try and understand the reasons behind their actions. She attempted to elucidate people’s behaviour and "lack of respect". Describing her artistic and documentation process, Jessica Theis said: “I did not look for purely aesthetic images, but images that express a message.”

After having had several meetings with professionals in the field and learning more about statistical research, psychology and environmental pollution as a daily reality, she decided to make her contribution by raising awareness about this pervasive issue. She made a book, organised outdoor exhibitions, ran a campaign along the highways and initiated a “Take Action Day” in addition to offering a travelling exhibition with workshops for pupils from schools across the country.

This project formed part of Esch2022 European Capital of Culture.