Kotti cleans up: Together for more cleanliness at Kottbusser Tor!

Kotti cleans up: Together for more cleanliness at Kottbusser Tor!

Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg announces an important step in the fight against littering. As reported in press release No. 275 of September 4, 2025 on the berlin.de website, the district is launching the “Kotti cleans up” campaign. This campaign, which will take place from September 11th to 13th around Kottbusser Tor, aims to create more cleanliness, hygiene and quality of life in public spaces.

The initiative includes the active participation of residents, local initiatives, specialist offices as well as business and administration. District Mayor Clara Herrmann emphasizes the importance of collective efforts to improve cleanliness. “The action days are the culmination of a project that started in the summer,” she explains, while emphasizing the long-term goals of the campaign.

Action days and activities

Various activities are planned as part of the action days, including cleaning campaigns, informative offers and creative hands-on activities. Collaboration with the Berlin City Cleaning Department (BSR) and the Berlin Transport Authority (BVG) plays a central role here. The BSR will be hosting a neighborhood day on September 11th that will focus on cleaning and waste prevention. At the same time, the BVG offers guided tours of the Kottbusser Tor subway station, which focus on cleanliness and waste management.

A focus group discussion was also held in July to analyze the causes of pollution. Based on this analysis, a system map was developed that takes social factors and infrastructural conditions into account. A look back at cleaning campaigns that have taken place, such as the last one in May, in which 14 full garbage bags were collected, shows the urgency of the issue. Organized by Kotti Paten and the environmental initiative “50 Shades of Plastic”, the campaign attracted 25 participants who carried brooms and grabbers provided by BSR.

Strategies for a clean future

The long-term goals of the “Kotti cleans up” campaign go beyond short-term cleaning campaigns. An ideas workshop has developed suggestions, including a series of portraits of committed neighborhood residents and initiatives to reduce single-use packaging. An information point on a future single-use ban and a packaging tax is also being considered. The Precious Plastic association plans to transform plastic waste into new products locally.

However, sustainable waste management is not just a challenge for Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. According to information from bmz.de, cities consume 75 percent of global resources, so a circular economy is crucial for resource conservation, waste avoidance and climate protection. To achieve this, city governments must further develop their waste and circular economy to create a healthy living environment.

The high costs of waste disposal are a burden on the district, but the “Kotti clears up” initiative has the potential to break the cycle of waste and create structures for greater cleanliness and quality of life in public spaces. The action days are a step in the right direction to activate residents and raise awareness of the waste problem.

If you have any further questions or are interested in taking part in the action days, residents can contact us directly: Email: presse@ba-fk.berlin.de, Telephone: (030) 90298-2843.