What is the impact of clean cities on the environment ?

In cities, clear water (or rainwater) is not directed to a treatment plant, but joins the runoff and therefore goes into the watercourses. Consequently, the drains that line the edges of the roads are direct gateways to pollution of aquatic environments. Some of the plastic waste and cigarette stubs lying around in the streets enter the natural environment. We propose to measure this impact on the basis of the quantity and duration of degradation of the discharged waste.

In a clean city, the amount of waste entering the natural environment, and therefore its impact, will be lower. However, mechanised cleaning consumes energy and emits CO2. An efficient and optimised use of sweepers, or even the switch to emission-free vehicles, would reduce this source of pollution. In addition to sweeping, some cities resort to washing (by washers or high pressure water jets). They use very large quantities of water, which will return to the environment loaded with heavy metals and microplastics. Washing also carries with it some urban waste.

To reduce the ecological footprint of cities, we must first be able to measure it. We suggest doing this with the help of labels, which will allow cities to evaluate themselves, identify priority areas for improvement, mobilise stakeholders and communicate progress.

A first working basis is proposed in the full article: https://bit.ly/3ncwsiB