Registrations now open for Clean Up Australia Day 2027

Clean Up Australia Day returns on Sunday, 7 March 2027, with registrations now open for volunteers to take part in the national clean-up effort.

For over 36 years, Clean Up Australia Day has brought communities together, with close to 24 million volunteers joining the effort. Over 850,000 people took part last year across more than 11,000 events nationally.

“There’s nothing quite like seeing our whole nation come together for a shared purpose. From our loyal volunteers who have been involved since the beginning, to kids doing their very first Clean Up, together we can make a real difference to the places we love,” said Pip Kiernan, Chair of Clean Up Australia.

Clean Up Australia’s FY25 Litter Report — which provides an annual snapshot of the litter collected by volunteers — found that plastics continue to be the number one litter type in Australia’s streets, parks, bushlands and waterways, representing 80.8% of all counted litter. Cigarette butts, also made of plastic, were the most littered individual item, representing 23.6% of all counted litter.

Australia generated 79 million tonnes of waste in 2024–25, up 4.1% on the previous year, with waste per person up 2.5%, according to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s (DCCEEW) National Waste and Resource Recovery Report 2026.

Plastic consumption also rose from 4.0 to 4.2 million tonnes, with only 16% of plastics recovered, according to DCCEEW’s Australian Plastics Flows and Fates Study 2024–25 National Report.

Australians, however, are ready for change, with 89% believing there should be stronger rules for manufacturers and brands to help reduce waste and 94% supporting a circular approach to packaging in Australia, according to the Cleanaway Recycling Behaviours Report 2026.

With registrations for Clean Up Australia Day 2027 now open, volunteers can receive a free Clean Up kit, containing gloves, bags and other resources. Packs are free for individuals, families, community groups and schools, with businesses asked to pay a small fee to cover costs.

• Business Clean Up Day: Tuesday, March 2, 2027
• Schools Clean Up Day: Friday, March 5, 2027
   

Volunteers who register a Clean Up Australia Day event before 31 December, will automatically be entered into an early bird competition to win one of 10 donated $500 Coles vouchers. The competition is open to all participants including community, business or school Clean Up events.

Register now for Clean Up Australia Day at cleanup.org.au.

Image credit: iStock.com/jittawit.21