Relaxing by the Moselle and enjoying a picnic with family and friends might sound idyllic, but it also leaves traces behind, as many people do not seem to feel the need to take their rubbish home with them. According to Schengen Mayor Michel Gloden, large numbers of people come to spend their free time by the water, which the municipality welcomes in principle.
However, he said the amount of rubbish being left behind has grown to a level the municipality can no longer accept.
All that waste adds up over the course of a year, according to Remich Mayor Jacques Sitz. He explained that the municipality's street-cleaning machine alone swept up almost 70 tonnes of waste, while the bin lorry collected around 80 tonnes more.
On weekends, he added, two or three municipal workers are regularly needed to deal with the situation. Both mayors say the situation has become increasingly difficult to manage.
Together with the National Roads Administration, officials from the municipality of Schengen decided to place containers and toilets on the grass along the Moselle at weekends, near Bech-Kleinmacher.
On Sunday morning, however, the toilets were already in poor condition. For some people, even 50 metres appeared to be too far to walk to throw rubbish into one of the containers. Some even bring rubbish from home to dispose of it there.
The clean-up also comes at a cost. Sitz said the waste swept up alone amounted to around €30,000. However, he noted that this does not include rubbish placed in bins, the additional staff who have to work at weekends, or any extra machinery needed to keep the area clean.
The total quickly becomes significant, he explained, and cannot simply be passed on to local residents. Sitz therefore urged visitors to take their rubbish home with them at the end of the day and dispose of it properly, rather than leaving it along the Moselle.
The message from both mayors is clear: people are welcome, but they should behave responsibly.
