Batting cleanup

In 1994, Mira Stanisławska-Meysztowicz was a thorn in the side of Poland's politicians. Today she is the recipient of one of the Polish government's highest civilian awards, the Polonia Restituta. What happened after 1994 to cause such a sea change in opinion is a load of rubbish. Stanisławska-Meysztowicz is the force behind Poland's annual Clean Up the World (Sprzątanie Świata) event, which takes place Sept. 20-22. Clean Up The World has become a huge community event, with up to 2 million people volunteering to help clean up the refuse and garbage from Polish cities and the countryside. This year, 9,000 school classes are taking part, as well as the general public, local gminas across the country, police officers and firefighters and local businesses. Even the popular band, Golec Orchestra, has donated a theme song called "Trees" ("Drzewa") to promote this year's event. The cleanup occurs in 119 other countries across the globe and is based on an idea germinated in Sydney, Australia, in 1989 to get the local community to look after its own environment.

"I think the biggest change in Poland during these years has been the change in attitude," said Stanisławska-Meysztowicz, who rallied public support and launched the event in 1994. "With our first Clean Up the World in Poland, the problem of waste was highlighted, and everyone started talking about the waste problem ... And the local community, the local government and local businesses had to come together to organize a campaign. Before this, getting the local government and the local community to work together was like working with two barricades." These days, the politicians that were once so "negative" about her plans, have been replaced by those who are more than willing to lend their support. Stanisławska-Meysztowicz counts Sejm Speaker Marek Borowski, Education Minister Krystyna Łybacka and Environment Minister Stanisław Żelichowski among her patrons. Even President Aleksander Kwaśniewski writes an annual message of support. He also awarded Stanisławska-Meysztowicz with her Polonia Restituta last year. Corporations, including sweets manufacturer Perfetti Van Melle Polska and accounting firm KPMG, are also big supporters.

Recycling fever Every year there's a cleanup theme. Last year's event focused on cleaning up illegal dumping. This year's theme is "Recycling Benefits All." "So we want people to learn to segregate waste in their own homes," said Stanisławska-Meysztowicz, who has organized a competition for school children to design a trash segregation system for their homes and classrooms. She also credits her work on Clean Up The World with helping to initiate new environmental legislation. In January 2002, new laws were introduced requiring companies that manufacture or use packaging to be financially accountable for recycling those products. Three years ago, gminas also became legally responsible for treating waste in an environmentally friendly manner. The government is considering an amendment to this law that would make gminas the owners of waste. Cecylia Pełka, the director of the Environmental Protection Department in Warsaw, thinks this is a step in the right direction since it would "enable the gminas to create and follow a reasonable waste management policy." Pełka is actively involved in organizing the Warsaw gmina's involvement in Clean Up Poland. She also helps other local government administrations to distribute special gloves and trash bags as well as find waste storage places during the three-day event.

"During the … years, we have been involved with Clean Up The World, the waste awareness of Varsovians has greatly increased," Pełka said. Stanisławska-Meysztowicz said it is this growing awareness that inspires her to keep organizing Clean Up The World's annual campaign. "Every year after the campaign, we get thousands and thousands of reports and letters from all over the country (with) people telling us what they did (to Clean Up The World)," Stanisławska-Meysztowicz said. If you would like to take part in Clean Up The World, contact your local gmina or school for details. You can also take the initiative and organize your own Clean Up The World events.