Our Heroes in Orange”: Public Services Day on June 23rd!

Our Heroes in Orange”: Public Services Day on June 23rd!

Next week, “Public Services Day” will be celebrated on Monday, June 23rd. Under the motto “Heroes of Public Services”, this day of action highlights the tireless employees who work in the areas of energy, water, wastewater, waste management, city cleaning and telecommunications. The Böblingen waste management company (AWB) plays a central role and ensures reliable and cost-effective waste disposal in the Böblingen district. The garbage collectors and the staff at the recycling centers make a significant contribution to the quality of life of citizens and are also known as “heroes in orange”.

Did you know that the AWB waste workers empty an average of 700 waste containers every day and move up to 30 tonnes in weight? This is a real challenge! What is particularly pleasing is that children often watch the garbage collectors and their large vehicles with shining eyes. This connection between the little wonderers and the strong garbage collectors is a valuable reminder of the importance of this work.

Focus on public services

But what exactly does public services mean? The term refers to the economic, social and cultural services that municipalities provide to their citizens. In Germany, over 300,000 employees work in public services. This includes facilities such as waste management, wastewater disposal, but also local public transport and energy supply. These services are not for profit and are often aimed at the public good, a principle enshrined in the municipal code. The term has a long history and was coined by Ernst Forsthoff in 1938 to justify government action in social matters.

Public services also include not only waste management, but also important areas such as water supply, schools, libraries, retirement homes and emergency services. Particularly due to the current challenges of climate change, the role of municipal companies and their responsibility for sustainable development is becoming increasingly important.

Climate protection and waste management

An important topic in waste management is climate protection. Waste management is based on a five-stage hierarchy of actions, which can be found in the Circular Economy Act and offers important potential for climate protection at the municipal level. This is not just about simple disposal, but also about waste avoidance, reuse, recycling and the energetic use of waste. The municipalities are required to show a good hand through information offerings and incentive systems and to actively promote measures to avoid waste.

In addition, the wastewater industry plays a major role as it is a serious energy consumer. By using renewable energies and improving the efficiency of sewage treatment plants, greenhouse gas emissions can also be significantly reduced here. These joint efforts help protect the environment and make an important contribution to combating climate change.

Public Services Day on June 23rd is not only an opportunity to celebrate the heroic employees, but also an important date to draw attention to the importance of these services and their role in climate protection. The AWB and other municipal companies are working to secure and sustainably develop public services for citizens in the region.

Further information can be found at: lrabb.de, leitfaden.kommunaler-klimaschutz.de and kommunalwiki.boell.de.