At the end of July 2025, a unique environmental initiative was launched in the city of Shymkent. As part of the “Clean Kazakhstan” campaign, the city’s youth launched a new format of the challenge on social networks, turning cleanliness into a fashion and trend. This time, the youth set a goal of “not dancing, but cleaning up the trend.” That is, instead of the usual internet dances or flash mobs, the focus is on collecting garbage, cleaning public places, and promoting environmental culture.

The idea of the challenge is simple but effective: participants clean up a certain area of the city and film the process. Then they post the video on social media and invite several friends or acquaintances to repeat the same action. This method is popular because, on the one hand, it benefits society, and on the other hand, it increases activity on social media.

Students and representatives of youth organizations were among the first to join this eco-initiative. They began cleaning up the city's parks, river and lakeside areas, courtyards of apartment buildings, and recreation areas. According to the participants, such work is fun and useful, because when working as a group, cleaning is easier and faster.

During the challenge, the focus was not only on collecting garbage, but also on sorting it. Young people tried to collect plastic, glass, paper and other waste separately and recycle them. This is an important direction of the "Clean Kazakhstan" campaign in forming an ecological culture.

Comparison with previous years
Environmental actions have been held in Shymkent before. In 2022 , the “Eco-Saturday” project was launched in the city, and it became a tradition to hold a Saturday once a month. At that time, most of the participants were civil servants and representatives of municipal institutions. In 2023, as part of the “Clean Kazakhstan” republican campaign, the city's youth voluntarily organized several environmental raids, but most of these events were held only on a certain day. In 2024, bloggers and art stars joined the environmental movement, and a one-day flash mob called “Leave a trace on nature” was held.

The difference with this new challenge for 2025 is its sustainability and the ability to spread quickly through social media. There is no restriction on a specific day, everyone can start cleaning at a time convenient for them and share it with their friends. Thus, environmental responsibility will gradually become a part of everyday life.

Social and environmental impact
According to experts, such initiatives have a significant positive impact on the city's ecosystem. First, the amount of garbage decreases, and secondly, the attitude of residents towards their environment changes. As the city's residents see less garbage around them, they themselves try not to litter. This is a clear manifestation of the principle of "clean environment - clean consciousness."

Such youth activity creates a new level of environmental culture. Every video on social networks is, on the one hand, motivation, and on the other, a tool for environmental propaganda. The advantage of this trend is its borderlessness: young people not only in the city, but also in other regions can join the challenge.

The future of the environmental movement in a new format
The city administration and environmental organizations plan to support this challenge and introduce additional motivational measures. For example, awarding the most active participants, awarding a special "Eco-Cup" or publishing videos of participants on official pages. Also, some entrepreneurs may support the eco-initiative and offer discounts and gifts to participants.

Another important aspect of the Challenge is to teach young people teamwork and how to use their free time effectively. According to participants, working together not only strengthens friendships, but also allows them to make new acquaintances.

Conclusion
A new challenge within the framework of "Clean Kazakhstan" in Shymkent is a modern and creative way to develop an ecological culture. It differs from traditional Sabbaths in its voluntariness, flexibility and the possibility of wide dissemination through social networks. Compared to the experience of previous years, this format attracts more attention from young people and is close to turning the ecological movement into a permanent habit.

If such initiatives receive sustained support and are widely promoted, it is quite possible that Shymkent will soon become a city with a high culture of cleanliness and strong environmental responsibility.