La Perouse, Sydney
Clean Up Australia Day 2026 highlights
by Clean Up Australia
Published on April 02, 2026
GLOVES ON FOR CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA DAY AS VOLUNTEERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY PITCH IN
It has been another inspiring effort from volunteers right across Australia.
Now in its 36th year, Clean Up Australia Day had an incredible attendance with over 750,000 volunteers coming together to help keep their local communities clean across more than 8,000 Clean Up events.
Events took place from the beaches of Broome in WA to the shores of Gamay (Botany Bay) in Sydney.
The number of community events grew this year, and the number of Councils who joined to support increased by an amazing 20%. This is a wonderful demonstration of community in action for the environment.
“Our latest Litter Report FY25 is a reminder of why days like today matter. Plastics make up more than 80% of all litter found across Australia, cigarette butts are now the most littered individual item and vapes are turning up at more than a third of surveyed Clean Up sites. This is what our volunteers are finding under their feet, and it is a call to action for every single one of us,” Pip concluded.
On Clean Up Australia Day in Sydney at La Perouse, Pip and some of the Clean Up Australia team collaborated with the local Gamay Rangers, who tirelessly protect the Gamay (Botany Bay) area, led by Robert Cooley (Bintar). Pip and Bintar were joined by Olympic diver Sam Fricker, Randwick City Council and over 80 community volunteers.
The event celebrated Clean Up Australia’s connection to our waterways and recognised the First Nations community’s ongoing work caring for Country.
“Thank you to everyone who came out this morning to support Clean Up Australia Day — protecting Country together ,” the Gamay Rangers said.
In Brisbane, Queensland, Clean Up Australia CEO, Jenny Geddes, sustainability ambassador Elyse Knowles and Ubuntu Foundation Founder, Carolyn Vincent, were joined at their Moorooka Clean Up by The Hon. Murray Watt, Federal Minister for the Environment and Water, and local MP Julie-Ann Campbell.
As Caroyln said, this event “is about people coming together for a shared cause, building stronger communities, and caring for the places we all live in.”
That sense of community-building was also strong in Melbourne, where three-time Olympian and bronze medallist Rhydian Cowley OLY and former AFL captain David Neitz, led over 60 volunteers along the Yarra River, with participants paddling and walking to remove litter from the waterway and its banks.
The group, which included representatives from Decathlon and Kayak Melbourne, collected a massive 20 bags of general waste, eight bags of recycling and one full bag of eligible containers for Victoria’ Container Deposit Scheme – why not make some cash while protecting ecosystems!
Cleanaway’s support providing waste disposal and collection was invaluable.
Moorooka, Brisbane
Yarra River, Melbourne
Down in Tassie, the incredible Tasmanian University Dive Club, TasPorts and
Invasive Sea Star Clean Up went below the surface, removing submerged debris (including numerous shopping trolleys) and invasive Northern Pacific sea stars from the River Derwent.
In the ACT, the Macgregor Landcare Group ran their annual event on the Ginninderra Creek in Macgregor, helping to combat the ongoing problem of litter that washes down the stormwater system.
The Landcare Group are dedicated to improving the quality of water and biodiversity of the creek and regularly hold Clean Ups and working bees, with six Clean Ups scheduled through March overall!
In South Australia, in Coober Pedy the “Opal Capital of the World”, a monthly Clean Up crew led by Jenny Davison continued their good work removing litter from the red soil. Let’s hope they found more than rubbish!
In the Northern Territory, the City of Darwin and Elected Members alongside Rapid Creek Landcare Group hosted an outstanding community event where 50 volunteers braved the rain, rolling up their sleeves to collect an impressive 340kg of rubbish in just two hours, helping to keep Darwin’s environment clean, healthy and accessible for everyone.
While in Western Australia, the Fremantle and Geographe Chapter of OzFish joined nationwide OzFish Chapters which together, removed a total of 2 tonnes of litter across 20 waterways around the country. What an incredible effort!
Many Councils this year went above and beyond in their support, hosting their own community Clean Ups which were open to the public.
Paroo Shire Council in South West Queensland held a fun event in Cunnamulla, complete with sausage sizzle and prizes for best dressed. It was a positive day with kids and adults – and Ricky the Central Bearded Dragon – coming together to Clean Up the town.
Ricky the Central Bearded Dragon
The Clean Up Australia Day campaign also incorporates Schools Clean Up Day which takes place on the Friday prior to the first Sunday in March, and Business Clean Up Day on the Tuesday prior to Clean Up Australia Day.
This year, the Clean Up superstar CEO Jenny and Chairperson Pip visited two schools. First up was Sacred Heart Primary School, where a lovely group listened and engaged thoughtfully in discussion on issues of litter and waste. Next, Jenny and Pip headed to Riverside Girls High School for an engaging chat, followed by a Clean Up in the rain.
Across the country, business were out in droves doing their bit for the environment on the Business Clean Up Day. Despite forecasts of severe weather, torrential rain and thunderstorms, Mother Nature shone through for the morning in Melbourne.
The Cricket Victoria Melbourne Stars and VicReturn filled 11 bags of litter and one large bag of containers for the Container Deposit Scheme, cleaning up around the waterways and parks in St Kilda.
Lucy Giblin, Corporate Partnerships Executive at CUA said: “It has been so uplifting to see lots of different businesses getting involved this year and tagging us in their photos.”
“A huge thank you to the businesses who have stepped up. Your support helps us keep delivering something Australians love and care about and helps protect our precious environment.”
Sacred Heart Primary School, New South Wales
Riverside Girls High School, New South Wales
The Cricket Victoria Melbourne Stars, Victoria
The Cricket Victoria Melbourne Stars and VicReturn, Victoria
With over 750,000 volunteers participating in Clean Up action during this campaign, there are too many community groups, families, schools and businesses to mention.
While it may look simple on the day, delivering the event across the country is a HUGE logistical effort. It wouldn’t be worthwhile without the tireless efforts of volunteers who pitch in to help: young and old, tall and small, and everyone in between!
Every year, without fail, the community show up. Rain, hail or shine, people right across this country get their gloves on and get to work to care for the place they call home.
When combined with preventative efforts at the design, use and disposal stages, positive, practical Clean Up action and legislative and behavioural campaigns work together toward a cleaner and healthier environment.
Let’s buckle in for another great year of eliminating litter and ending waste.
