The 20^th September has been proclaimed UN World Cleanup Day. Cleanup Day activities mobilise people at global level to take part in voluntary actions to reduce waste pollution and preserve a clean and healthy environment.

As part of these clean-up efforts, every year the European Commission, in partnership with the United Nations and the Smurfs, organises the #EUBeachCleanup, an awareness-raising campaign featuring beach, river banks and various clean-up events across the world.

Within this campaign, the European Commission and the United Nations will join forces with the City of Brussels on 21 September to clean up the streets and raise awareness about the impact of littering – from the city centre to the bottom of the ocean.

Some EU-funded projects and coalitions, managed by CINEA, also support these clean-up efforts with some activities in Belgium and beyond.

The EU4Ocean Coalition, funded under EMFAF, will organise another EU Beach Clean-up event in Brussels and in Athens on 21 September. The “#MakeEUBlue: From Source to Shores” event tackles plastic pollution and raise awareness about the interrelation between all water bodies—from rivers and lakes to the ocean.

The Inspire Europe project, funded under Horizon Europe (EU Mission “Restore our Oceans and Waters”), is also organising a cleanup activity as part of the River Cleanup campaign on 22 September.

There are hundreds of EU Beach Clean-up events organised around Europe from 10 June until 31 October and a dedicated page to find them all. 

Citizens are encouraged to bring their friends, families, and colleagues to be part of a wave of positive change!

In need of inspiration? Do like SHORE project, funded under Horizon Europe (EU Mission “Restore our Oceans and Waters”), who has recently organised a beach cleanup along the Black Sea coast with 50 students. The collected waste was then creatively used to create the #EUBeachCleanup logo.