Environmental protection and sustainability thrive on participation!

Since 2010, the City of Zittau and the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences have jointly organized Environment Day, with themes that change each year. We are particularly pleased that two Zittau “climate schools”— the Christan-Weise-Gymnasium and the Weinau Oberschule—are participating for the first time this year. Both schools are actively involved in designing and setting up the Environment Day exhibition and will visit the event’s various sections with groups of students. We would also like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt thanks to our partners, Stadtwerke and SOWAG Zittau, for their active support.

The theme to be presented this year is “Plastic Everywhere”. “As Rector of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, this year’s theme is very close to my heart,” said Prof. Friedrich Albrecht. “I am particularly concerned about the severe plastic pollution of the oceans and its associated consequences for animals and humans. Everyone can contribute in a variety of ways to ensure that this pollution does not worsen further and that everything is done to address its root causes.”

“With scientific institutions such as Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, the Fraunhofer Technikum, and, not least, numerous highly specialized companies, Zittau is a true plastics hub; a life without synthetic materials is hardly imaginable for any of us today,” comments Thomas Zenker, mayor of the city of Zittau. “At the same time, the massive use of plastics—and in particular the pollution of our environment by tons of such waste—poses a threat to the future of life on Earth. Addressing this issue is a responsibility we all share, which is why I am very pleased to see this year’s Environment Day centered on this theme.”

Plastic has become an integral part of our daily lives, and it plays a vital role in many sectors of various industries and in medicine. On Environment Day 2017, we will provide information about the pros and cons of plastic and discuss them with you.

The fact that the topic of plastic is highly topical is also evident from a newly launched research project by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The project is funded with 35 million euros, making it the world’s largest research program on plastic to date.

We look forward to welcoming you to a series of presentations, a tour of the Zittau wastewater treatment plant, a workshop on decentralized plastic recycling, an exhibition, and a documentary film followed by a panel discussion.

All event components are open to the public and free of charge. Interested parties are cordially invited to attend.

For more information and the complete program for the Zittau and Görlitz locations, please visit the website. The program is subject to change.