Clean Up the World Weekend

Clean Up the World Weekend, celebrated globally on the 3rd weekend in September is the Campaign's flagship event. Clean Up the World encourages its member organisations to organise an event on, or around, Clean Up the World Weekend and to think of ways to engage the community in long-term environmental initiatives.

In 2007, the 15th Clean Up the World Weekend was held 14-16 September. Thanks to the support of our partners and member organisations, the Clean Up the World Weekend was a resounding success with hundreds of members, working with thousands of groups to mobilise millions of volunteers around the world to take action to improve the environment. Their actions were promoted to media by a global communications effort from the Clean Up the World (CUW) head office in Sydney and supported by activities undertaken by our partners.

Clean Up the World members also conduct activities throughout the year. Their efforts are recognised in our annual Clean Up the World Campaign Activity Report which will be available on this website at the end of the year.

Communications

Clean Up the World, its partners and members promoted the global campaign and Clean Up the World Weekend activities to international and local media.

Clean Up the World and UNEP issued a join media release which was placed on both websites and distributed to global media. Other Media Releases included a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministerial Release, and Clean Up the World Corporate, Pacific, Australian and Americas releases.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) highlighted the Clean Up the World Weekend on its homepage and created media pages. A podcast featuring Achim Steiner, the Executive Director of UNEP was also created.

Our 2007 Public Service Announcement (PSA) provided by National Geographic Channels International was profiled in the lead up to the Clean Up the World Weekend by being aired:

• Selectively on National Geographic Channels International's global network
• On Qantas domestic and international flights
• On youtube and the CUW website.

Click here to view the media pages for Clean Up the World Weekend 2007.

Campaign and Member Images

Clean Up the World's photo gallery contains inspiring images of our members and their activities around the world.

Click here to see images of activities undertaken on Clean Up the Word Weekend and throughout the year by region.

For the first time a Clean Up the World Campaign Image was produced. Its caption read "Our climate, our actions, our future. - The Australian founder of the global Clean Up the World campaign Ian Kiernan AO, was joined by children from Rouse Hill Public School in Sydney, Australia to ask the world to take urgent action to limit the impacts of climate change. The children represent the 650 plus community groups from 115 countries that will help tackle the causes of climate change this year, highlighted over the 15th Clean Up the World Weekend on September 14-16."

Click here to see the Campaign image.

Member Activities

Below is a sample of the inspiring initiatives undertaken by Clean Up the World members in celebration of the Clean Up the World Weekend.

Africa
Nigeria - Local Youth Assembly of Nigeria (Niya)
Niya organised a major clean up of Oke Ado Market and its surroundings in Ibadan South West Local Government Area in Ibadan City, Oyo State. To promote ongoing clean up activities in the market area, the group works with volunteers on the last Saturday of each month. Niya also ran an orientation program for illiterate people providing them with information about sanitation and its impact on their health as well as the general environment.

Asia Pacific
Indonesia - Tanam Untuk Kehidupan (Planting for Life) (TUK)
During the first week of September, TUK held the ‘Festival Mata Air' the local community were involved in 8 days of exceptional entertainment, street installations, exhibitions, workshops and discussions with the message: Look after your water and your environment!! With the help of the youth of Kalitaman, street lanterns were made out of plastic bottles and other waste, and a Selamat Datang (Welcome) sign, which stretched across the road. There were several large installations made by TUK's artists, as well as an exhibition space showcasing the results of TUK's previous community workshops. Other highlights include toys made out of waste, children's drawing competition and daily workshops in woodcut printing, drawing, toy making and composting. This, combined with an exciting entertainment and the environmental awareness program, made for a hugely successful 2007 festival.

Tonga -Tonga Solid Waste Management Project
On Clean Up the World Weekend in Tonga, Tonga Solid Waste Management Project carried out activities throughout the main island of Tongatapu. With the support of local businesses, government departments, schools and local sponsors, volunteers focused their clean ups on illegal dump sites which included areas such as neighbourhoods and beaches. In the lead up to the weekend, Tonga Solid Waste Management Project ran a TV and radio program to raise awareness about the issue and to encourage participation. 70 groups registered for the event. The clean ups were held over 2 days. On Friday the 14th schools joined in and on the Saturday other groups such as youth, churches, government departments, and businesses got involved.

Europe
Spain - Aulaga Asociación de Educación Ambiental y Ecología Social
Saturday, September 15, Aulaga carried out a clean up activity on an emblematic hill in Malaga Capital. Gibralfaro Hill was cleaned by volunteers from 11am to 1pm. This was AULAGA's 8th consecutive year organising a Clean Up the World campaign in Malaga. They strive to raise the awareness of citizens about ways they can improve their local natural environment. Entities which collaborated and participated in this year's event included: La Red Andaluza de Consumo Responsable, Plataforma del Voluntariado de Málaga, volunteer rangers & volunteers from Greenpeace-Málaga. In the lead up to the event, AULAGA held a press conference and a local TV station ran a feature story about the campaign.

Latin America & the Caribbean
Colombia - eRECICLAJE
eRECICLAJE called on the residents of Envigado to help clean the Ayurá Ravine September 16 from 7am. 60 volunteers answered that call. Waste found in the ravines continues to cause concern for the community. It was the intention of eRECICLAJE's to give an example of how to manage waste and to support a community day in favour of the environment. Cleaning began in the paddock in front of the in El Salado, high part of the ravine and continued until Carrefour, Las Vegas Avenue. Waste was collected by teams who managed to gather 60 bags of waste and 1.5 truck loads of tires. After 5 hours of cleaning, volunteers classified the waste.

North America
USA - Australian Mission to the United Nations, in association with UNEP
A demonstration of sustainable gardening tips with Australian celebrity gardener Jamie Durie was conducted at an event organised by the Australian Mission at the United Nations Head Quarters on Friday September 14 to kick off the Clean Up the World Weekend. It was hosted by Ambassador Robert Hill, the Australian Permanent Representative to the UN. The special guest, Australian TV personality Jamie Durie, presented UNEP NY Director Juanita Castaño with a potted tree to symbolise that even urban New Yorkers can make a contribution to the environment by greening their personal living space.

West Asia
Jordon - Jordan Environment Society (JES)
A 5 hour clean up was held Saturday September 9 at the forest of His Royal Highness the King of Bahrain in Airport Road.  500 volunteers participated at the site of the event launch while more than 15,000 participants cleaned other locations throughout Jordan where JES branches are located. Local support was provided by the Greater Amman Municipality Mayor Eng. Omar Maani. in co-operation with Parks Department (GAM). The campaign aims to encourage positive attitudes and behaviors in maintaining a clean and sound environment through promoting awareness by practice and participation. The campaign also aims to sort, reuse and recycle some of the collected waste.