Following last Wednesday’s inspiring visit from environmental activist Ms. Gabriele Berblinger on October 14th, the course Sustainability and Active Citizenship decided it was time to live up to its name. Today, our group of 5 students and 2 teachers turned inspiration into direct impact by clearing cigarette butts from the immediate surroundings of the European School Karlsruhe (ESK).

Did you know? Cigarette butts are one of the most common and toxic forms of litter on Earth. They are not biodegradable—they contain plastic (cellulose acetate) and can take over 10 years to break down. Along the way, a single butt can contaminate up to 1,000 Liters of water and release harmful chemicals into our soil, threatening local ecosystems. 💧🍂

Equipped with nitrile gloves, repurposed 5-liter plastic yogurt buckets (donated by our canteen staff), and wooden tweezers, our 7-member team worked hard for exactly one hour today.

The Activity at a Glance:
Date & Time: October 21, 2026 | 11:10 – 12:10 CET
Location: Immediate surroundings of ESK
Team: 5 students + 2 teachers
Total Collected: 858 cigarette butts! 🗑️🚫

A huge thank you to everyone involved for taking active citizenship outside the classroom and making our community a cleaner, greener place!

#Sustainability #ActiveCitizenship #EcoFriendlySchool #ESK #EnvironmentalAwareness #CommunityAction #FromAwarenessToAction