World Cleanup Day facts for kids
Quick facts for kids World Cleanup Day |
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| Date(s) | 15 September 2018 |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Location(s) | Worldwide |
| Years active | 6 |
| Participants | (25000000) (2021) |
| Budget | ~$1 million |
World Cleanup Day is a special day when people all over the world come together to clean up our planet. It's a huge effort to deal with the problem of trash, especially plastic and other waste that ends up in our oceans. This day happens every year on September 20th. An organization called Let's Do It! World, based in Tallinn, Estonia, helps organize it.
On World Cleanup Day, volunteers pick up litter and map out where waste is a big problem. These cleanup events happen in almost every country, from one side of the world to the other. They continue until they reach places like Hawaii and American Samoa. Since 2024, World Cleanup Day has even been an official holiday recognized by the United Nations.
Why We Clean Up
World Cleanup Day wants everyone to understand the big problem of trash that isn't handled well. It encourages people, governments, businesses, and groups to join in cleanup actions. They also look for ways to solve the waste problem for good.
Many different organizations help to set up and run World Cleanup Day events around the globe. Just like Earth Day, World Cleanup Day is for everyone. It doesn't support any specific political party or idea.
How World Cleanup Day Started
The very first World Cleanup Day was on September 15, 2018. But it built on the success of other cleanup efforts from before. The goal for 2018 was to get 5% of the world's people involved. That would have been about 380 million people.
Even though it didn't reach that huge number, 18 million people around the world still took part. The World Cleanup Day in 2019 happened on September 19th. It was on the same day as Peace Day and a big global climate strike.
People have been cleaning up after big problems for a long time. This often happened after natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, or powerful tsunamis. In modern times, local communities usually do these cleanups. They get help from groups like the Red Cross and Oxfam. These groups often help in areas that have been through tough times.
Since 2020, there's also been a Digital Cleanup Day. This day helps people think about how much energy our digital lives use. It shows how our online activities can affect the environment too.
Who Participates
Most people who join World Cleanup Days are volunteers. They give their time to help out. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) help to organize everything. They spread the word, handle the plans, and raise money for the events.
See also
In Spanish: Día Mundial de la Limpieza para niños
- Clean-up (environment)
- Let's Do It 2008
- Let's Clean Slovenia in One Day!
- Let's Clean Slovenia 2012
- Earth Day
- National Cleanup Day
- The Ocean Cleanup
- Voluntary ecological year
