The Great Spring Clean Up is set to return this year, running nationwide throughout September and October, and registrations are now open.
As spring arrives, Clean Up Australia is encouraging volunteers and the wider community to take the opportunity to step outside, reconnect with the places they live, work and play, and help remove litter before it washes into local waterways, harms wildlife and spreads further throughout the environment.
Last year over 900 Great Spring Clean Up events took place across the country. This year, Clean Up Australia is aiming to go even bigger by encouraging more communities, schools and workplaces than ever to get involved and help top last year’s efforts.
The Great Spring Clean Up follows Clean Up Australia Day, the nation’s largest day of environmental action, held on the first Sunday in March each year.
Pip Kiernan, Chair of Clean Up Australia, said: “The Great Spring Clean Up is about reconnecting with the places that matter most to us, including our local parks, beaches and waterways, and looking after them. It’s a simple reminder that it’s in our nature to care for our environment, and spring is a great time to do our bit.
“It’s a chance to step outside, see your local area with fresh eyes, and remember that cleaner places don’t happen by chance; they happen because people take action. Every volunteer makes a difference, and together we can help to protect the places we love,” said Pip Kiernan.
Local residents participating in the Great Spring Clean Up 2026
While community Clean Up efforts remain vital in protecting our environment, the latest Litter Report revealed that more than 80% of the litter collected by volunteers in FY25 was plastic. This really highlights the ongoing challenge we have with plastics and underscores the urgent need for packaging reforms.
Clean Up Australia strongly supports implementing a mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for packaging, including soft plastics, to ensure producers and manufacturers are responsible for the packaging they place on the market, helping to reduce single-use plastics at the source.
“Plastics are pervasive in our environment, and we find them there in growing amounts. We need to reduce how much plastic is being produced and increase reliance on reusable alternatives,” said Kiernan.
The Great Spring Clean Up is open to everyone, whether you’re looking to participate as an individual, a family, a community group, a school, a workplace or with your mates.
Volunteers will receive a free Clean Up kit, containing reusable gloves, bags and other resources, with packs for individuals, families, community groups and schools available (businesses are asked to pay a small fee to help cover costs).
If you are unable to participate, donations to Clean Up Australia are welcome, with 100% of funds raised going directly to empowering Australians to take positive action for the environment and providing the free Clean Up kits to our incredible volunteers.
Gather your Clean Up crew, choose a place that matters to you, and register your Great Spring Clean Up today.
Registrations are now open at cleanup.org.au
Related Reads
Nature IS nurture: Connecting your kids to the environment
Step up to a healthier future with National Walk Safely to School Day
