First ever World Cleanup Day to launch in Tromsø
On the 20th of September, the world will come together in Tromsø, Norway, for the first-ever World Cleanup Day. This global event, established by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2023, will be celebrated annually to combat the urgent issue of mismanaged waste and pollution and to encourage worldwide participation in voluntary cleanup activities.
Published: 02.September, 2024 Last updated: 03.September, 2024
The inaugural event in Tromsø will spotlight the theme «Arctic Cities and Marine Litter,» focusing on the need to protect vulnerable and remote ecosystems from pollution.
Norway’s national cleanup initiatives, such as the «Cleanup Norway in Time» programme, have set a global benchmark for environmental stewardship, demonstrating the effectiveness of combining government support, voluntary participation, and professional management.
– Our world is facing an environmental crisis. Around 40 per cent of global municipal waste, 2,3 billion tonnes, is not properly managed. By mobilizing cities and communities in clean-up initiatives, UN-Habitat wants to raise awareness about the pressing issue of waste pollution and promote sustainable approaches to waste disposal and treatment, says Michal Mlynár, Deputy Executive Director of UN-Habitat.
Hope to inspire other countries
– We are honoured and proud to be elected to host the world’s first UN Cleanup Day, says Cecilie Lind, Chief Executive Officer of the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund.
– We look forward to sharing our knowledge, experience and results with the world. Additionally, we hope to inspire and enable other countries to adopt and expand our model of nationwide professional cleanups, like our «Cleanup Norway in Time» initiative.
Since 2015, the Norwegian government has supported national cleanup efforts. NREF’s «Cleanup Norway in Time» programme, the world’s first professional national cleanup initiative, cleared 40 per cent of Norway’s outer coastline from plastics between 2021 and 2023, with a target of reaching 55 per cent by 2024.
International implications
– World Cleanup Day presents us with a tool to spread awareness and empower the public in the fight to prevent waste from ending up in nature, remarks Karen Landmark, Managing Director at GRID-Arendal – an environmental non-profit organization based in Norway contributing to the development of policies aimed at mitigating marine litter and plastic pollution and supporting the development of sustainable waste management practices.
– We think it will also provide an additional incentive for those participating in the final Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee negotiations to achieve something truly remarkable – a comprehensive global plastics treaty.
UN-Habitat – the United Nations agency dedicated to promoting sustainable urban development – has been entrusted the facilitation of the global observance of World Cleanup Day. UN-Habitat will leverage its expertise in waste management, sustainable development, and environmental advocacy to drive coordinated global action.
