Children Pick Up Over 2,200 Kilos of Litter During “Verloot je Zooitje”
272 children, 2,235 kilograms of litter, and nearly 300,000 cigarette butts were removed from neighborhoods in Zoetermeer.
The festive closing ceremony for “Verloot je Zooitje” took place on Wednesday, September 16, at the Markt in Zoetermeer. During the closing party, Children’s Mayor Sarah presented the prizes to the winners of the annual contest. Children and their families enjoyed a variety of activities, including arts and crafts, face painting, poffertjes, cotton candy, and slush puppies.
From July 18 through August 30, 2026, children in the neighborhoods of Meerzicht, Oosterheem, Buytenwegh, Seghwaert, and Driemanspolder went on a litter hunt. Through their efforts, they made an impressive contribution to a cleaner Zoetermeer.
The results are impressive. A total of 272 children participated in “Verloot je Zooitje.” Together, they collected 2,235 kilograms of litter and picked up no fewer than 295,340 cigarette butts. During the campaign, 1,423 submissions were recorded. For each submission, participants received raffle tickets for the prize drawing. A total of 58,331 raffle tickets were distributed.
Sarah, the children’s mayor of Zoetermeer: “Many children and I think ‘Verloot je Zooitje’ is a really fun initiative that’s also good for the climate. There’s a lot of trash on the streets in Zoetermeer. With ‘Verloot je Zooitje,’ kids can clean up that trash, earn raffle tickets, and win prizes with those tickets.”
"Verloot je Zooitje" shows how young and old can work together to contribute to a clean living environment. The initiative aligns with the municipality’s goal of investing in clean, well-maintained, and attractive public spaces. The coalition agreement states that Zoetermeer wants to work toward creating neighborhoods where residents can enjoy living, playing, and socializing. It also emphasizes visible improvements in public spaces and residents’ involvement in their living environment.
The municipality would like to thank all the participating children, parents, volunteers, and neighborhood contractors who contributed. The municipality also thanks the business owners who provided the prizes. Thanks to their enthusiasm and commitment, the neighborhoods of Zoetermeer have not only become cleaner, but awareness of the importance of a clean living environment has also increased.
Together, we'll keep it clean—because cleanliness is just the way we are.
