Djurgården’s first underwater clean-up!

At Djurgården, we are taking action against littering. On 15th June between 10am and 2pm, lots of us are taking part in an underwater clean-up dive in the water by Junibacken and the Vasa Museum. We are doing this to draw attention to the fact that so much of the rubbish that we carelessly throw away ends up in the Baltic Sea. Anyone is welcome to turn up and see the divers in action via a live stream.

Sustainability is at the heart of our work here at Djurgården. Through doing this underwater clean-up, we want to show where so much rubbish ends up: in the Baltic Sea. It’s a small step, but still an important part of our journey to reduce littering. And this is just the beginning: we want Djurgården to be at the forefront of innovation for a sustainable society.

Over 50 companies and organisations that operate at Djurgården, as well as the Royal Djurgården Society, are working together as part of a joint commitment to prevent littering, together with Håll Sverige Rent (‘Keep Sweden Clean’).

“Amongst other things, we have decided to reduce the use of plastic here at Djurgården and eventually phase out single-use plastic. We will increase the recycling of packaging and work with other organisations on innovative solutions to reduce litter”, says Camilla Zedendahl.

Underwater clean-up at Djurgården, 10:00, 15th June 

All of the rubbish found will of course be extracted from the water, and there will also be marine archaeologists from the Swedish Maritime and Transport Museums to hand, who will decide whether any of the rubbish can be put on display at the Museum of Wrecks, which will be a new museum at Djurgården. Marine archaeologists from the Baltic Sea Science Center will also be there to talk about the importance of the Baltic Sea.

Royal Djurgården is part of the world’s first National City Park, and its unique environment has been a big part of Stockholm for hundreds of years – for Stockholmers and visitors alike. Djurgården is part of the Baltic Sea, whose beaches and nature are covered with rubbish. Most of this rubbish is plastic, which is non-degradable. The main cause of littering is human behaviour; when we eat and drink on-the-go and don’t take responsibility for where our rubbish ends up.

If you want to read more about our work with sustainability, visit sustainable.royaldjurgarden.se/en  

Djurgården works with other organisations to combat litter (17.17)

Through underwater clean-ups, Djurgården reduces the number of pollutants in the Baltic Sea (14.1)

Photo: Oskar Kihlborg