The official launch of the campaign “Let`s do it Cyprus” to be held on April 6, 2014, was marked Thursday with a press conference by Environment Commissioner Ioanna Panayiotou.

The Commissioner explained that the Let`s do it Cyprus! is part of the campaign `Let`s do it World!` a global campaign that aims to relieve the physical locations of the world of trash.

It is the largest voluntary program and the largest citizens` movement, which was ever organized in the world.

“The idea for this mobilization was born in 2008 in Estonia, where 50,000 volunteers gathered to clean up 10,000 tons of trash which were in the streets, forests, beaches and cities and were able to clear the entire country in only five hours,” Panayiotou added.

She said that more than 100 countries are participating in the campaign Let`s do it World!, including Cyprus.

Let`s do it Cyprus! successfully participated for the first time in this global campaign, on 29 September 2012, with some 4000 volunteers who collected 20 tonnes of garbage.

Unfortunately, she noted, Cyprus is considered a country full of trash while Cypriots produce two pounds of garbage a day, placing Cyprus in the first position regarding the per capita waste generation in the EU annual production per person amounts to 691 kg (2010 data).

So far, she said, 90 Municipalities and Communities, 51 organizations / bodies and 16 Government Departments, including the Presidency and the Ministry of Defence, have registered.

The number of volunteers who have signed up so far, she said, amounts to 3000.

Our goal, Panayiotou said, is to have the participation of as many volunteers as possible, so our message would reach across Cyprus and be heard resounding around the world via the Let`s Do It World!

Environment Commissioner called everyone to participate in the campaign.