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Once again this year, the employees of Kommunalservice Jena (KSJ ) are taking part in the nationwide Read Aloud Day on November 21, 2025. Under the motto "Waste heroes read aloud", our colleagues in orange are showing that they not only keep the streets clean, but also provide exciting stories. While it is grey and chilly outside, many daycare centers and elementary school in Jena will be colorful, lively and curious - because on this day, our waste pickers will swap the collection route for a very special place: the local children's groups. They have a reading book, lots of exciting stories about garbage and recycling - and even a real garbage truck. The books were kindly provided by the Verband kommunaler Unternehmen e.V. (VKU) and with the support of Jenaer Bücherstube (owner Gunther Philler, www.jenbuch.de).
The book "Ich habe einen Freund, der ist Müllmann" ("I have a friend who is a dustman") will be read - in a child-friendly, vivid way and with lots of opportunities to ask questions. Because children want to know:
"Why does garbage sometimes stink?"
"Where does the garbage truck go?"
"What actually happens to our waste?"
This year's reading mentors are plant manager Uwe Feige and waste workers from the KSJ. The aim of the campaign is to make the work of our colleagues tangible and to arouse interest in the environment, cleanliness and sustainability even among the youngest children.
At the same time, a reading lesson will also take place at the KSJ: The 1st grade of the Saaletal School, organized by the Ernst Abbe Library, visits our depot. There, our waste consultant Ulrike Schönfelder reads from the book "Egon Eichhorn and the wild garbage in the forest". Afterwards, the children take a tour to see how waste disposal works - up close and personal with people, vehicles and technology.
The nationwide Read Aloud Day is a joint initiative of Stiftung Lesen, DIE ZEIT and the Deutsche Bahn Foundation. With the "Waste heroes read aloud" campaign, the VKU, together with municipal companies such as KSJ:
- Strengthen reading promotion and educational equality,
- Arouse interest in careers in the municipal sector,
- make municipal companies visible as committed educational players and
- promote emotional ties to municipal services.
More information on the campaign can be found on the VKU website: www.vku.de/themen/daseinsvorsorge/artikel/abfallhelden-lesen-vor-jetzt-aktion-zum-vorlesetag-starten