Irkutsk joined the nationwide Make it! campaign on September 15. For months the city prepared for a major cleanup, finding partners, recruiting volunteers, and allocating over 9 million rubles for equipment and trash removal. In a week and on the cleanup day, tens of thousands of cubic meters of waste were collected, and more than 16 thousand people went out, students, schoolchildren, activists, and business. The day ended with the opening of an art object made of trash and a concert, and organizers will sum up the final results this week.

Irkutsk took part in the nationwide “Let’s Do It!” campaign on September 15. Preparations for the large-scale cleanup had been underway for several months: partners were sought, outreach work was carried out, and volunteers were recruited. The campaign was also supported by the Irkutsk city administration. More than 9 million rubles were allocated for its implementation: for the purchase of gloves and garbage bags, as well as for waste removal.
- We expected that about 300 units of equipment would be involved that day in organizing waste removal. But since we began actively removing waste on September 8, less equipment was needed today – 110 units are working across the city, - commented Radik Farazutdinov, director of the municipal enterprise “Irkutskavtodor.”
The citywide cleanup was preceded by a week of cleanup work. During that time, about 20,000 cubic meters of waste were collected. On the day of the campaign itself, approximately 7,000 cubic meters were removed. The landfill accepted waste free of charge that day – by pre-issued vouchers. They were distributed among the population, as well as specialized organizations, 2,500 in total.
Over all the days of the campaign, more than 22,000 people took part in Irkutsk Oblast. On September 15, more than 16,000 people came out to clean the streets of the regional center. Students, representatives of city schools, and public organizations actively joined in. Business representatives also did not stay on the sidelines: some participated financially, while others came out for the cleanup as entire companies.
- The city of Irkutsk is among the leaders among the other cities participating in the campaign; we are setting a positive example. I believe the campaign was a success. And the city needs such campaigns, when people go out into the streets of Irkutsk – in groups, as teams, or simply on their own. I think the city will change for the better. When a person makes an effort themselves, they will no longer throw paper past a trash bin, will not litter, and will dispose of everything in the proper places. And that is the greatest effect of the campaign, - said Alexander Nikolaev, deputy mayor and chairman of the Housing and Utilities Committee of the Irkutsk administration.
The large-scale cleanup on Saturday lasted from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Afterward, an art object was unveiled on the Lower Embankment near VSGAO. It was built specifically for the “Let’s Make Irkutsk ECO-logical!” campaign. The material used was waste – various metal structures, as well as wheels from old bicycles. The day concluded with a concert in Kirov Square.
The organizers will sum up the final results of the campaign this week.
Based on materials from the press service of the Irkutsk city administration