What it is
World Cleanup Day is run by the Let’s Do It World network, based in Tallinn, and is on the UN calendar. It falls on 20 September every year. The organiser reports 25 million people from 190 countries and territories taking part in 2025.
Join one, or start one
The easiest way in is to join a cleanup already planned near you. If there is none, a small one you run yourself counts just as much: five neighbours and an hour on the same stretch of street.
Sort these out a week before
- Choose an area small enough to finish
- Check who owns the land; ask permission if it is private
- Arrange with the council where full bags go and who collects them
- Gloves, bags and litter pickers; councils often lend kit
- Agree what volunteers do not touch: needles, glass without proper gloves, drums, possible asbestos
Make it more than one day
The point of a global day is the push it gives. The cleanup that matters is the one that happens again in October. Take before-and-after photos, note where the worst spots were, and set the next date before people go home.
On CleanSpot you create the event, invite people, and get a recap afterwards. The hotspots you found stay on a public map, and anything too big or dangerous to clear is reported there for the council to see.
Sources
- World Cleanup Day — Let’s Do It World (2026-10-19)
When is World Cleanup Day?
20 September, every year.
Who organises it?
The Let’s Do It World network, based in Tallinn. Local cleanups are organised by volunteers, groups, schools and councils.
Do I need to register my cleanup?
Not to take part. Registering it with the organisers or on CleanSpot helps others find and join it.