Skip to main content
Oceans and fisheries
Timor leste beach litter
#EUBeachCleanup 2024

Global campaign for clean, plastic-free oceans

What’s the #EUBeachCleanup?

Every year, the European Union, in partnership with the United Nations and the Smurfs, organises an ocean-activism and awareness-raising campaign - #EUBeachCleanup - featuring beach, river banks and various clean-up events across the world.

In 2023, 45,700 participants took part in 555 events, in 44 countries across all inhabited continents. This year, let’s make it even bigger!

Clean-ups play a crucial role in advancing multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by addressing environmental degradation, promoting sustainable consumption and production, protecting biodiversity, improving public health, and fostering community engagement and collaboration.

The campaign key to raise awareness about marine pollution, and how our habits impact our ocean. It is estimated that up to 37 million tonnes of plastic waste will reach the ocean annually by 2040.

When does it take place?

World Cleanup Day 2024 will be on Friday 20 September – but any events organised between 10 June and 31 October counts!

While most events take place on the beach, we also encourage people living far away from the sea to organise clean-ups.

Joining the wave

Interested in joining the campaign?

That’s easy!

Either join an event near you (see list of events below – updated throughout the year) - or put up your own event!

To organise your event

Find social media guidelines and visuals on Google Drive or Trello.

  • 19 FEBRUARY 2024
Organising your own event - guidelines for the general public
  • 19 FEBRUARY 2024
Organising your own event - guidelines for institutional partners
  • 19 FEBRUARY 2024
Guidelines on how to use the AWorld app

 

News

  • News announcement

On 29 August 2024, as part of the Danube Delta Summer School, organised by the Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development (INCDDD) in collaboration with the International Association for Danube Research (IAD), over 30 participants from eight countries came together for

  • 2 min read
#EUBeachCLeanup event in Podgorica, organised by the EU Delegation in Montenegro
  • News blog

And that’s a wrap on the 2023 #EUBeachCleanup campaign! 44 countries, 555 events, 45,700 participants, and 183,094 kg of waste collected across all inhabited continents. An incredible year that saw the involvement of so many more citizens, NGOs, EU institutions, Climate Pact Ambassadors,

  • 3 min read

#EUBeachCleanUp events

Media gallery

Contact

Email
EU-Beach-Cleanatec [dot] europa [dot] eu