Great Global Cleanup® partner highlight: Route Brazil mobilizes 15,000 people for Rio Beach cleanup

On June 8, Route Brazil hosted a one-of-a-kind cleanup event on the sandy beaches of Rio de Janeiro. Entitled Aquele Abraço (Portuguese for “The Big Hug”), the event saw over 15,000 participants, including representatives from the municipal government and several semi-professional soccer stars. In total, Route Brazil was able to remove nearly 8,000 single-use plastic bags, 14,000 plastic straws, and 34,000 cigarette butts from Rio’s beaches and showcase the impact that beach cleanups can have in spurring people to act in their own community regarding plastic pollution and out-of-control waste. “The event was one of the most incredible energy I’ve ever felt,” remarked Simao Costa, Executive Director and Founder of Route Brazil. “Seeing thousands of people coming out to clean up our oceans gave me real hope.” Coming off the success of our 2019 cleanups, Earth Day Network was pleased to further its cleanup efforts by supporting Aquele Abraço through a strategic partnership between the two organizations. By showcasing the event through our social media channels, EDN was pleased to demonstrate the global appeal of cleanups and signal that cleanups are not a one-time event. Moving forward, Earth Day Network will be looking forward to strengthening and expanding its partnership with Route Brazil for both World Cleanup Day on September 21 and the Great Global Cleanup™ in April 2020. Obrigado to our friends in Brazil for a job well done!