City of Zug, 14.10.2020

More littering because of Corona

As a result of closed restaurants, more litter has been incurred in the city of Zug, especially on the lake shore.

Closed restaurants and bars: people who wanted to meet during the lockdown were most likely to do so outside or, more elegantly, in open-air restaurants. The lakeshore In Zug is a popular meeting place – even before Corona.

These meetings outside one's own four walls or restaurants have often led to more litter in public places in other cantons. And this has been the case even after the lockdown was relaxed, because people are staying in Switzerland instead of travelling abroad.

In recent months, scenes like this  (here a picture from mid-September) have been seen more frequently on the shores of Lake Zug

Has this phenomenon also been seen in Zug? "Yes, the employees of the waste disposal centres (Werkdienst) in the city of Zug  have noticed an increase in waste," says Jascha Hager, city engineer. "In the warm season, the areas around the lake were particularly affected." The rubbish not only landed in the waste bins, but also next to them. "There was also an increase in littering."

Discarded masks, especially in the centre
The Zug police could not provide details about any corona littering or about any measurable increase since the pandemic. "We keep annual statistics, and not statistics covering specific periods of time," explains media spokeswoman Sandra Peier. The fact that littering is more common in the warm summer months was also noted. The reason: more people visit the lake shore then, as opposed to when it’s cold and raining.

What kind of waste has been found more often? "There has been an increase in food packaging and beverage containers such as bottles, which are often not properly disposed of, but are simply left behind," say jascha Hager. He concludes:

"This was certainly due to the temporary closure of restaurants and bars and a certain reluctance on the part of people to visit restaurants."

Face masks are now also being discarded, especially at bus stops, in the city centre and in the area of the railway station. "Although most of them are disposed of correctly, some are simply left lying on the ground," adds Hager.

Additional effort could be handled well
According to its own information, the Werkhof has been able to handle this additional cleaning work well. It also helped that other work did not arise due to the pandemic. For example, no major events were held, which always meant additional work for the Werkhof. Moreover, the fight against littering is a permanent task. This is confirmed by the police with their statements. Society has changed in recent years, with people's nightlife and buying behaviour changing, as well as the opening hours of nightclubs and shops.

That's why the police have to stay on the ball. "The Zug police are very present in the public space, with both uniformed and civilian employees," says Peier. If they see a violation of the law, for example because of littering, they step in and apply the law consistently. In the case of littering, this can involve a fine of more than CHF 100.