European Clean-Up Day
Every year, millions of tonnes of litter end up in oceans, beaches, forests and elsewhere in nature. The primary causes are our societies’ unsustainable production and consumption patterns, poor waste management strategies and the lack of awareness of the population.

In order to reduce littering in nature and to give visibility to the issue, the EWWR (European Week for Waste Reduction) coordinates a Europe-wide annual clean-up day.

A European movement
Several clean-up campaigns have been implemented in Europe over the past years to tackle the litter problem. The European Clean-Up Day, “Let’s Clean Up Europe!”, intends to bring these initiatives together to have a Europe-wide clean-up event that takes place on the same day all over the continent; involving and reaching as many citizens as possible.
By being part of “Let’s Clean Up Europe!” and helping to clean up their environment, participants can see how much waste is being dumped in their neighbourhood. This action provides a unique opportunity to raise citizen’s awareness on the litter problem and to help changing people’s behaviour.
Organising your clean-up action
The main steps you will have to take to plan your clean-up activity are desribed below. Find out more about Let’s Clean Up Europe and on how to organise a clean-up action in the Let’s Clean Up Europe Factsheet.
Before the action:
1. Identify a place to clean
2. Get your contacts on board
3. Register your action with the coordinator responsible for your area
4. Set up your team and find some support/sponsor.
5. Promote your clean-up activity
On the day of the clean-up activity:
1. Meet with your team on the place indicated
2. Collect litter, sorting it as much as possible (in particular glass and hazardous waste)
3. Share ideas about the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
After the clean-up it would be great if you could send your feedback as well as pictures and videos of your clean-up activity to your coordinator.
Source: http://www.ewwr.eu/es/Clean-up-day