Clean Up Australia

Clean Up Australia is a not-for-profit Australian environmental conservation organisation founded by Australian Ian Kiernan, and co-founder Kim McKay, in 1989. It works to foster relationships between the community, business and government to address the environmental issues of waste, water and climate change. Since its inception, Clean Up Australia has grown to include other projects and campaigns including Business Clean Up Day, Schools Clean Up Day, Clean Up the Alps, Clean Up the Kimberley and Clean Up the World. The organisation is behind Clean Up Australia Day, as well as other environmental projects and campaigns.

Clean Up Australia Day

Clean Up Australia Day is the most well-known effort by Clean Up Australia. It is held on the first Sunday of March every year, and encourages people to clean up their local areas. Any person can register a place they plan to clean up, on the Clean Up Australia website, and others can join them there. Activities on the day include removing large items such as car bodies from water ways and the collection of general waste lying around.

Clean Up Australia Day was first held in 1990. The idea was borne out of an Australian Bicentenary event, "Clean-Up Lake Macquarie" which was instigated in 1987 by Ivan Welsh as Mayor of Lake Macquarie.^[1] Then followed the local "Clean Up Sydney Harbour" event in 1989 which received an enormous public response with more than 40,000 Sydneysiders participating.

"The Rubbish Report" is produced each year from data collected by surveying participants.

Clean Up the World

Clean Up the World was established in 1993 after Ian Kiernan and Kim McKay approached the United Nations Environment Programme, with an idea to take his Clean Up concept global.

Clean Up the World is an international campaign that encourages communities to clean up, fix up and conserve their environment through the Clean Up the World Membership program.

A Clean Up the World weekend is held on the third weekend of September each year with more than 35 million people from over 120 countries participating each year.

Other Clean Up campaigns & projects

Business Clean Up Day

Business Clean Up Day^[2] provides Australian businesses with an opportunity to contribute to waste reduction and the improvement of the environment.

Businesses register their commitment to implement at least one enivironment-friendly initiative in their workplace, giving them an opportunity to work as a team and make a difference to their local environment.

Schools Clean Up Day

Schools Clean Up Day^[3] is designed to allow students to participate in Clean Up Australia as part of a school activity.

Hundreds and thousands of students get involved each year, learning about the impact of waste on the environment and how they can make a difference to their local community.

Clean Up the Kimberley

Clean Up the Kimberley^[4] is a series of community action based projects aimed at promoting environmental, social and economic sustainability in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

The primary objectives of this initiative are to clean up rubbish hot spots, increase awareness of the scale and impact of rubbish in the region, change tourist and local community behaviour and improve recycling and waste management infrastructure in the Kimberley region.

Clean Up the Alps

Clean Up the Alps^[5] is a project aimed at protecting the Alpine region of Victoria.

Clean Up the Alps is run in conjunction with Parks Victoria, Conservation Volunteers Australia and local communities as part of the Victorian Government’s ‘The Alps: A fresh start – a healthy future’ program.

The project culminates in the Clean Up the Alps weekend, held annually in November. =)

See also

• Clean Up the World

References

1. ^ Gordon, Jason (17 March 2007). "Former mayor fighter to end". The Newcastle Herald: p. 5. "In 1987 he instigated the Clean-Up Lake Macquarie campaign as an Australian Bicentenary event. After its success, Ian Kiernan arranged a series of meetings at Lake Macquarie to learn more.
   Mr Kiernan then went on to organise the inaugural Clean-Up Sydney event, which then grew into Clean-Up Australia Day and now Clean-Up the World Day." 
2. ^ Business Clean Up Day
3. ^ Schools Clean Up Day
4. ^ Clean Up the Kimberly
5. ^ Clean Up the Alps

External links

• Clean Up Australia
• Clean Up the World