On 20 September 2025, the world once again united for World Cleanup Day, led by Let’s Do It World (LDIW). Communities across 190 countries and territories took part, proving that the power of collective action is limitless as the globe united for a shared goal: a clean and safe future. From cities and villages to schools, embassies, workplaces and beaches, millions joined in with one shared purpose: protecting our environment in a step towards profound systemic change.
This year, Let’s Do It World called on the world to achieve the “Strive for Five” goal: mobilising at least 5% of the planet’s population, a threshold scientists identify as a cultural tipping point for sustainable change.
Final participation figures are still being collected, but early indications suggest a new record may be reached. According to a media audit conducted with Meltwater—one of the leading global media intelligence and monitoring platforms—the potential reach was 2.4 billion, with 429.4 million media mentions on 20 September alone.
Between 2018 and 2024, more than 114 million people in 211 countries and territories had already joined World Cleanup Day, removing over 708,000 tonnes of waste—protecting millions of animals, and restoring thousands of rivers, parks and streets. This impact is proof that every action matters—and together, we can change the future.
Heidi Solba, President and CEO of Let’s Do It World, reflected: "World Cleanup Day has always been about more than just clean streets and cleaner nature. It is about restoring our communities and countries—physically, socially, and morally. In a world with a record number of wars and conflicts, every cleanup is an act of peace, unity, and rebuilding trust.”
Solba continued: “Our mission is to break down barriers between people, businesses, and governments, to change systems and cut waste at its source. Together, we are creating a new norm—cooperation, responsibility, and care for the planet we all call home.”
For the first time, the International Contact and Media Centre was hosted in Kyiv, Ukraine, a decision by LDIW leadership to highlight the ecological costs of war and the healing power of environmental action for peace-building and national recovery.
Iuliia Markhel, Leader of Let’s Do It Ukraine, highlighted the deep connection between cleanups and wartime recovery: “In countries experiencing wars and conflicts, green reconstruction and environmental protection are not secondary issues but strategic priorities. In Ukraine, we feel the consequences of ecocide every day: destroyed ecosystems affect people’s health, the quality of water, air, and food. Nature knows no borders, and its restoration is only possible through the joint efforts of governments, communities, businesses, and every one of us.”
A global live broadcast from Kyiv brought together ambassadors, international leaders, and environmental experts, along with performances from TOM SODA, Diana Gloster, Kamaliya and Birgid Täht.
Globally, the waste crisis continues to grow. According to UNEP, an incredible 2.1 billion tonnes of municipal waste were generated in 2023—a figure projected to reach 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050 if no action is taken.
Despite challenges ranging from extreme weather to political instability, communities worldwide pressed ahead with their World Cleanup Day initiatives. Participants from all ages and backgrounds came together to clean all around the world—with schools, universities, NGOs, municipalities, businesses, ministries and embassies all playing their part in a unique partnership of citizens, governments, and business uniting globally.
Beyond the statistics, inspiring stories emerged—from symbolic cleanups in historic sites to swans returning to a freshly cleaned beach, SpongeBob’s team joining in, and even the use of underwater drones to tackle marine waste.
World Cleanup Day is not just about a single event. It is a reminder that daily choices—avoiding litter, sorting waste, raising awareness, or joining local actions—add up to lasting impact and have the power to catalyse systemic change.
To inspire the world into further action, the leaders of the LDIW global network released a powerful call out: “We all want to live in a clean, safe, and sustainable world—and this requires the collective action of everyone. Even the smallest steps, when combined, create a powerful wave of change. From governments to citizens, from small island nations to large countries—we are all bound by a shared responsibility for our common home.”
In 2025, World Cleanup Day once again showed the strength of global collaboration. Across borders and differences, people proved that when we act together in partnership, dialogue, action, and solidarity, we can create cleaner, safer, and more hopeful futures for everyone.
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