Clean-up and Recycle SA Week is an annual initiative by the local plastics industry, supported and endorsed by the various packaging and retail streams and retailers. Each year, close to 120 000 volunteers participate in these clean-up activities that take place along roadsides, rivers, schools, residential and illegal dumping areas. The initiative is supported by provincial governments, local municipalities, environmental organisations, businesses, schools and communities.

With South Africa facing a waste crisis, this six-day campaign is your opportunity to help reduce the amount of waste polluting our land environments and oceans. Pick any day in the week of 11-16 September, get together with friends or work colleagues, and do your bit by cleaning an area in your community.

Now in its 19th year, it’s the one week of the year where retailers, brands, waste management companies, trade associations, governments and the media come together to achieve one goal: to galvanise the public into recycling more of the right things, more often.

When communities come together to raise awareness about recycling, it teaches people about the importance of protecting the environment and how to do so. Educating people about protecting the environment can help equip future generations with the knowledge and understanding they need to reduce pollution.

More and more people recycle everyday. This helps to reduce the need for landfill and more costly forms of disposal. Recycling also reduces the need for extracting (mining, quarrying and logging), refining and processing raw materials all of which create substantial air and water pollution.

Conserving raw materials. Reducing littering. Reducing pollution. Saving on the need for scarce landfill space.

How can you help your community? Volunteer for cleanups, recycle and teach your kids about litter and recycling

Together we can make a difference