To reduce pollution in the forests of Riga and its surroundings and to remind the public about the “Vides SOS” app, which helps to provide information more promptly about waste illegally dumped in the forest, “Rīgas Meži” and the State Environmental Service (VVD) launched the social campaign #TīriRīgasMeži #VidesSOS today, 27 September. During the event, there was an opportunity to learn about the harsh daily lives of forest keepers – finding and collecting waste.

The campaign was launched in the Riga forestry territory, in the Ziepniekkalns forest. This is one of the “favourite” spots for environmental polluters, for which reports are also frequently received in the VVD “Vides SOS” app. In this vicinity, the famous “Man with a Bag” was also caught: https://ej.uz/77bc, who, on a winter weekend morning, without blinking an eye and with a light wave of his hand, threw a large bag of waste right under a “No Littering” sign.

To reduce littering, “Rīgas Meži” is deploying video surveillance cameras, installing barriers, informing the public, and cooperating with law enforcement agencies to provide information for the purpose of imposing penalties. The fine for illegal waste dumping in the forest is from 50 to 1000 EUR for individuals and from 70 to 2100 EUR for legal entities, including the possible confiscation of the vehicle involved in the offence.

Anita Skudra, Chairperson of the Board of “Rīgas Meži”: “Instead of our foresters and forest guards taking care of Riga and Pierīga’s greenery, planting trees or tending to young growth, they collect waste every day! These are costs for both the company and every resident of Riga. With these funds, we could plant about 400,000 pine trees every year, create dozens of flower beds, or set up several recreational facilities.”

She adds that the forest is regularly polluted with hazardous waste as well, which causes almost irreversible damage to nature. Every year, “Rīgas Meži” and, consequently, the residents of Riga, spend many tens of thousands of euros on collecting and disposing of waste. For example, in the first eight months of this year, compared to 2021, the company’s expenditure on waste disposal has more than doubled: 108,902 EUR compared to 48,784 EUR. Amount/volume of waste in “Rīgas Meži”: 1044 tonnes in the first 8 months of 2022, and 588 tonnes and 837 m3 in the first 8 months of 2021.

VVD Director General Elita Baklāne-Ansberga: “The Vides SOS app is a convenient way for the public to get involved and report waste dumped in the environment. Every year, residents submit 4,000–5,000 reports, and in the majority, or 65% of cases, reports in the app concern household waste dumped in the environment. One-third of the reports are specifically about littering in the Riga city area. Not only household waste ends up in nature, but also furniture, tyres, electrical appliances, and more. Analysing the types of waste most often found in the environment, we conclude that it would be possible to hand them over sorted for free at one of the sorted waste collection points. The State Environmental Service invites you to find the nearest separate waste collection point at skiroviegli.lv and manage waste responsibly.”

For a report to be forwarded to the State Environmental Service for review as accurately as possible, it is essential to use the latest version of the app, determine the location precisely, and attach photographs. At the same time, it is an opportunity to both promptly transmit and receive information, and to collect the waste as quickly as possible so that it does not cause significant damage to the environment over a long period.

Campaign objective and activities:

# encourage residents to use the Vides SOS app so that land owners or managers can promptly receive information about dumped waste and collect it,

# provide clear information to the public on social networks about the results of the app’s operation – the situation in “Rīgas Meži” areas before and after waste collection, as well as information about the composition of waste and the resources spent on its collection and disposal,

# call on municipalities in whose territories the forests managed by “Rīgas Meži” are located to join the fight for a clean environment.

In 2021, a record number of reports were received in the “Vides SOS” app – 4,081, of which 2,651 reports or ~65% were about waste. Last year, “Rīgas Meži” received 245 reports regarding waste in the territories under the company’s jurisdiction.

Recommendations for “Vides SOS” – www.videssos.lv – for more successful use of the app:

# before using the app, it is important to ensure that an updated or the latest available version is being used and that location permission is granted. The latest version is available for free download on Google Play and the App Store,

# to allow the mobile device to determine the location as accurately as possible, it is advisable not to move for less than a minute. Then it will also be easier for data processors and waste collectors to determine the specific location,

# it is also important to grant GPS coordinate permission to the device’s camera so that it is possible to attach a photo in cases where the report is submitted remotely (GPS coordinates are added to the photo’s metadata),

# when logging into the app, it is immediately ready to submit a report. You can take photos with the “add photo” function directly in the app or use one of the previously taken pictures. In the field below the attached photo, you must add a description of the problem with information that might be essential for resolving the report. After adding the photo and description, the report is ready to be sent.

“Rīgas Meži” reminds – what you bring into the forest, take out of the forest!

See waste in the forest?! – report it to “Vides SOS”!