Bringing city nature back to life: a successful clean-up on Podpolkovnik Vasil Zlatarev Street

On 16 November 2024, the Surya Foundation — with the support of Iskar district at Sofia Municipality and a group of dedicated volunteers — successfully ran a major clean-up campaign in one of Sofia's most critically polluted areas: Podpolkovnik Vasil Zlatarev Street in the Druzhba district.
What did we achieve?
Out of the 3-kilometre stretch that had turned into an illegal dumping ground for construction waste and car tyres, in one day we cleaned 500 metres. The results are impressive:
● 130 tonnes of construction waste hauled away.
● 8,000 cubic metres of dumped timber removed from the area.
● Tonnes of car tyres taken away for recycling, which will help reduce pollution and support sustainable waste management.
Why does this matter?
Podpolkovnik Vasil Zlatarev Street had not only become a rubbish dump — it was also putting the neighbouring woodland, a valuable piece of urban nature, at risk. Through this campaign, we managed to clear the waste, bring back the look of the area and protect the environment.

Thank you
A heartfelt thank you to the volunteers who put in the effort and the time to make this happen, and to Iskar district at Sofia Municipality for their cooperation and for providing some of the equipment.
What's next?
In the spring we'll carry on cleaning the same street — we're set on clearing it completely. After that, we'll turn our attention to the small wood between the street and the Iskar river. It's also heavily polluted and needs serious care so it can come back as a green space for the community.
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