Environmental protection and clean-ups after the 2023 parade

Successful waste disposal and environmental education

On July 8th, Berlin celebrated the demonstration “Rave The Planet Parade 2023 – MUSIC IS THE ANSWER”, on the Straße des 17. Juni and Großer Stern, with enthusiastic participation from 300,000 attendees. Where so many people come together, more waste is inevitably generated. Therefore, rave the planet gGmbH is committed to environmental education and organized a Clean-Up Day again this year, the day after the parade, to clean up the Tiergarten Park.

63 volunteers pitched in, despite extreme temperatures

As expected, a considerable amount of trash was also generated in the Großer Tiergarten park, where numerous people used the shade to rest on the day of the parade. Two Clean-Ups were therefore organized to clean up the greenery. The first clean-up, on July 9, involved 63 volunteers, a total of 28 more than the previous year. It was also encouraging that 80% of the people participated in a Clean-Up for the first time, which demonstrated the increased environmental education character of the initiative.

Second Clean-Up: 135 Acres of Großer Tiergarten cleaned

Due to the heat, a second Clean-Up was held on July 12, to clean up the remaining areas. Once again, 15 volunteers participated and ultimately a total of 135 acres of the Großer Tiergarten were again cleaned. Mission accomplished.

Successful Reduction of Public Urination

Another success of this year’s environmental efforts was the significant reduction of public urination spots in the Großer Tiergarten. rave the planet gGmbH achieved this by strategically placing new toilet facilities in the park pathways instead of on the sidewalks along the Straße des 17. Juni. Also, the number of toilets was doubled.

Waste Volume in Comparison across Germany

The waste collected from the streets by the Berliner Stadtreinigung (BSR)

during the Rave The Planet Parade 2023 amounted to approximately 144* cubic meters, about 30 cubic meters more than the previous year. BSR primarily removed beverage packaging, cartons, and glass bottles from the streets. Despite prior appeals by Rave The Planet, many glass bottles were still discarded. The average waste amount per person was approximately 0.55 liters.

In comparison to other demonstrations and parades of similar size across Germany, the “Rave The Planet Parade 2023” stands out for its relatively low waste volume:

Mainz Carnival Parade 2020: 315 Cubic meters (90 Tons)
CSD Berlin 2022: 360 Cubic meters (102,85 Tons)
Cologne Rose-Monday Parade 2023: 467 Cubic meters (133,42 Tons)
1st of May Parade, Berlin-Kreuzberg 2023 (without official celebration): 185 Cubic meters (52,85 Tons, of which 18 tons were from Görlitzer Park only)

*For transparency: Originally, we had the number 164 cubic meters here. However, in a later inquiry with the BSR, we were informed that the actual value is 20 cubic meters less. We’ve corrected that.

Collaborations with Social Projects

At this year’s parade, rave the planet gGmbH successfully cooperated with PFANDGEBEN (engl.: GIVE DEPOSIT), a project of the Sozialhelden e.V. association (engl.: Social Heroes), in order to support people collecting deposits and at the same time draw attention to the huge glass bottle problem at assemblies. In this way, environmental education was enhanced by additional social aspects.

Many thanks for the big support

The entire Rave The Planet crew expresses its special thanks to all volunteers for their commitment and support during both Clean-Ups, as well as to the District Office of Mitte, the entire team of the Department of Parks Großer Tiergarten and the BSR Regional Center South-East, and the BSR’s “Kehrenbürger” project for their excellent cooperation and support.

The rave the planet gGmbH continues to be actively involved in the protection of Berlin’s environment and looks forward to a successful future with the support of dedicated volunteers and other supporters, as well as all those who participate in the vision of a sustainable and environmentally conscious parade.