First started by Ian Kiernan in 1990 in response to his indignation about the polluted state of the world’s oceans, Clean Up Australia Day has become Australia’s largest community-based environmental event, which over the last 20 years has seen the collection of over 200,000 tonnes of rubbish nationwide and the donation of 24 million volunteer hours.

As well as Clean Up Australia Day, the Clean Up Australia organisation runs a series of campaigns that advocate for a cleaner environment and more sustainable lifestyles which include:

• Schools Clean Up Day
• Say NO to Plastic Bags
• Clean Up the World
• Clean Up Our Climate
• Clean Up Mobile Phones

The Clean Up Australia website also has a number of useful resources for schools, including:

• an excellent series of fact sheets about waste
• the Schools Climate Kit (which contains a wide range of lesson plans and classrooms activities that have a sustainability focus)
• rubbish reports
• a carbon offset calculator
• the interactive, curriculum-based, recycling game for primary students, Clean Up the River

There are a number of activities and campaigns that schools can become involved in through Clean Up Australia. Schools Clean Up Day is an annual event linked to the Clean Up Australia campaign that allows schools to demonstrate care for their local environment while participating in a nationwide community activity. Many schools use the school clean up event as part of their environmental education program and include it as a waste education action in their School Environmental Management Plan.

Schools participating in Schools Clean Up Day are also invited to nominate one teacher for the Green Teacher Award which recognises teachers who have had a positive influence on students by carrying out environmental projects within their school community.

Schools Clean Up Day is held on the Friday before the first Sunday in March.

Clean Up Australia Day

There are a number of activities and campaigns that schools can become involved in through Clean Up Australia. Schools Clean Up Day is an annual event linked to the Clean Up Australia campaign that allows schools to demonstrate care for their local environment while participating in a nationwide community activity. Many schools use the school clean up event as part of their environmental education program and include it as a waste education action in their School Environmental Management Plan.

Schools participating in Schools Clean Up Day are also invited to nominate one teacher for the Green Teacher Award which recognises teachers who have had a positive influence on students by carrying out environmental projects within their school community.

Schools Clean Up Day is held on the Friday before the first Sunday in March.

Clean Up Australia Day