Helsinki’s Kaivopuisto park left littered after unusually warm May Day celebrations

Unseasonably warm weather drew larger-than-usual crowds to Helsinki’s Kaivopuisto park for May Day celebrations, leaving behind significant litter despite the city’s preparations, reports Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

Temperatures across southern Finland rose above 20°C for only the second time this century during May Day, prompting more people to gather for picnics. By Saturday morning, the park was strewn with waste, primarily broken glass from sparkling wine bottles—commonly consumed during the holiday.

The city had installed 189 portable toilets and 59 urinals in central parks, yet long queues still formed, particularly at women’s facilities. Cleanup efforts involved both municipal workers and volunteer organisations, with the city’s maintenance service, Stara, operating around the clock. Last year’s May Day cleanup cost Helsinki €88,000.

To encourage recycling, the city offered a cinema ticket in exchange for returning 20 empty sparkling wine bottles, with 1,300 vouchers distributed. The collected glass will be repurposed as raw material for fibreglass production.

Access to Kaivopuisto was restricted to maintenance, emergency, and pre-authorised food vendor vehicles, with private traffic banned during the event.