NATIONAL CLEANUP DAY RETURNS ON SEPTEMBER 16

NATIONAL CLEANUP DAY RETURNS ON SEPTEMBER 16
The annual event will attract droves of volunteers nationwide to help clean their communities

DENVER, CO, August 30, 2023 — National CleanUp Day® will return for its seventh year on Saturday, September 16. Volunteers throughout the country will participate in the removal of literal tons of trash via thousands of organized cleanups throughout the country.

Held annually on the third Saturday every September, National CleanUp Day addresses the issue of excess waste and litter across America. Since the inaugural cleanups in 2017, over a million participants have helped clean up parks, beaches, rivers, and forests across the country, removing substantial amounts of litter in the process.

EARTHDAY.ORG is a long standing partner of National CleanUp Day, and organizer of their own cleanups  year round through  The Great Global Cleanup, a global initiative to rid the environment of waste and plastic pollution for good.  EARTHDAY.ORG President Kathleen Rogers oversees a number of major environmental initiatives, from reforestation to sustainable fashion movements, and stresses the power of the simple community cleanup. 

“We are excited to continue our partnership with National Cleanup Day, harnessing the power of cleanups to ignite the environmental movement,” said Kathleen Rogers, President of EARTHDAY.ORG. “Cleanups play a key role in solving the plastics crisis, allowing volunteers to take their communities’ health into their own hands. On September 16^th, we unite globally to take a stand against plastics for a cleaner, healthier planet for generations to come.”

Keep America Beautiful, a longtime pivotal partner in the event, coordinates cleanups of various sizes all year long across the country, utilizing their extensive network of affiliates, community partners, and volunteers. “We’re thrilled to partner with National CleanUp Day once again, continuing to make a significant impact on our environment. Each cleanup, whether large or small, represents a step towards a cleaner, greener, and more beautiful future for all of us. Remember, there are only 152 pieces of litter on the ground for every person in America – a litter-free country is within reach!  The enthusiasm of our volunteers grows stronger each year, and together, we are creating positive momentum that resonates globally,” Jennifer Lawson, President, and CEO of Keep America Beautiful

World CleanUp Day in just five years has seen a staggering 71 million individuals participating, hailing from 190 different countries. This year they earned a remarkable achievement; the receipt of the esteemed Mobilization award from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG), coupled with its official recognition on the UN calendar.  Heidi Solba, President and Head of the Global Network of Let’s Do It World, the organizers of World CleanUp Day, expounds on their primary objectives.

“On World Cleanup Day 2023, millions of volunteers will be collaborating with thousands of partner organizations within our global network to unite with a shared objective: to address the issue of waste pollution in our surroundings. Our primary goal is to enhance public consciousness and bring about a substantial societal transformation. Our target involves engaging a minimum of 3.5% of the population, which stands as our ultimate aspiration. Operating as an organization, we possess dedicated teams in 164 countries, working alongside their partners to initiate a widespread ‘greenwave’ across the globe. The opportunity to collaborate with our fellow network member organization, National CleanUp Day, within the USA on this critical matter to achieve the goal.”

The National Wildlife Federation, America’s largest conservation organization, and Johnson Outdoors, a leading global innovator of outdoor recreation equipment and technology, launched the “Clean Earth Challenge” in 2022 and are proud to advance natural resource conservation by celebrating National CleanUp Day this September. 

“We’re excited to participate in ‘Good, Clean, Fun’ for National CleanUp Day to inspire people everywhere to help clean up the planet and make an impact,” said Krista Newberry, head of licensing and partnerships for the National Wildlife Federation. “Even the smallest actions add up—whether it’s picking up trash while walking your dog, hanging out at the beach, or even organizing a large group cleanup. When you work together, the impact is big!”

Other supporters helping to make National CleanUp Day happen include Planet Oat, GOES Health, WoolAid, and The Pioneers Volunteer Network.

Volunteers across the nation, and around the world as part of World Cleanup Day, will be cleaning up their communities during September.  To view a map of cleanups, join, or even create your own, please visit https://www.earthday.org/campaign/cleanup/.

About EARTHDAY.ORG:

EARTHDAY.ORG’s mission is to diversify, educate, and activate the environmental movement worldwide. Growing out of the first Earth Day (1970), EARTHDAY.ORG is the world’s largest recruiter to the environmental movement, working with more than 150,000 partners in nearly 192 countries to build environmental democracy. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. Its flagship volunteer initiative, The Great Global Cleanup takes place in April each year and engages millions of volunteers in creating clean communities worldwide. Learn more at earthday.org.

About National CleanUp Day

National CleanUp Day is a call to action. National CleanUp Day is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, dedicated to keeping our nation’s urban, rural, and outdoor public spaces free of litter and trash. This year’s National CleanUpDay is supported by a network of environmentally conscious partners. Learn more at nationalcleanupday.org 

About Keep America Beautiful 

Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s leading community improvement nonprofit organization, inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful strives to End Littering, Improve Recycling, and Beautify America’s Communities. We believe everyone has a right to live in a clean, green, and beautiful community, and shares a responsibility to contribute to that vision. The organization is driven by the work and passion of more than 700 Keep America Beautiful affiliates, millions of volunteers, and the collaborative support of corporate partners, social and civic service organizations, academia, municipalities, elected officials, and individuals. Learn more at kab.org.

About Let’s Do It World

Let’s Do It World is a global organization that unites more than 164 countries’ teams worldwide into the biggest active network to unite their efforts for the waste free World. The World Cleanup Day is the biggest global one-day event organized by LDIW and during the last four worldwide cleanups have engaged more than 65 million people from 191 countries. Let’s Do It World network is addressing numerous global and regional projects to catalyze the activities in countries for the circular economy as well for the zero waste. Learn more at worldcleanupday.org   

About the National Wildlife Federation

Founded in 1936, the National Wildlife Federation is America’s largest and most trusted grassroots conservation organization with 52 state and territorial affiliates and more than six million members and supporters, including hunters, anglers, gardeners, birders, hikers, campers, paddlers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes. The Federation’s mission is to unite all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in our rapidly changing world through programming focused on conserving wildlife, restoring habitats and waterways, expanding outdoor opportunities, connecting children with nature, and addressing the causes and consequences of climate change.

About Johnson Outdoors:

JOHNSON OUTDOORS is a leading global innovator of outdoor recreation equipment and technologies that inspire more people to experience the awe of the great outdoors. The company designs, manufactures and markets a portfolio of winning, consumer-preferred brands across four categories: Watercraft Recreation, Fishing, Diving and Camping. Johnson Outdoors’ iconic brands include: Old Town® canoes and kayaks; Ocean Kayak™; Carlisle® paddles; Minn Kota® fishing motors, batteries and anchors; Cannon® downriggers; Humminbird® marine electronics and charts; SCUBAPRO® dive equipment; Jetboil® outdoor cooking systems; and Eureka!®camping and hiking equipment. For more information, visit: https://www.johnsonoutdoors.com/us/clean-earth-challenge.