orld Cleanup Day 2026: how Ukraine is joining the global campaign

20.09.2026, 20:25 rubryka.com

This year's global campaign is held under the slogan "Strive for Five." Its goal is to mobilize 5% of the world's population to prevent waste generation, promote responsible consumption, and achieve long-term social change.

"When a large enough part of society acts together, the impact goes far beyond a single cleanup day. Through the 'Strive for Five' campaign, we invite people, businesses, educational institutions, and governments to reduce waste, rethink consumption, and strengthen cooperation so that one day of collective action can contribute to lasting change," said Heidi Solba, president and head of the global Let's Do It World network.

In Ukraine, activities marking World Cleanup Day run from August 20 to September 20 each year. Events are held in adaptive formats taking into account martial law conditions and the security situation in different regions.

Participants organize individual, family, and group cleanups at pre-approved safe locations, tidy up the grounds of educational institutions, businesses, and other organizations, and sort and send recyclable materials for processing.

Participation is also possible remotely through digital cleanup. This involves deleting unnecessary files, emails, and unwanted data from devices and cloud storage.

"Every environmental action today is a contribution to Ukraine's future. Amid the war and daily ecocide, it is especially important to join forces to restore the environment, develop an environmental culture, and promote responsible use of natural resources. A clean environment means people's health, community safety, and the resilience of our state. I thank everyone who is defending Ukraine and helping rebuild it through their actions," said Yuliia Markhel, leader of Let's Do It Ukraine and World Cleanup Day coordinator in Ukraine.

The organizers are calling on all participants and coordinators to register the results of their participation. The data will be used to compile national results and present Ukraine's contribution at the international level. After completing the reporting form, participants will be able to receive an online certificate.

The results must be registered by 11 p.m. on September 25, 2026 via this link.

Global coordination of World Cleanup Day 2026 is taking place simultaneously from three European capitals:

The main international celebration is taking place on September 19–21 in Shaoxing, China, in cooperation with UN-Habitat.

The central World Cleanup Day location in Ukraine was joined by:

International activities were also joined by Rostyslav Tronenko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of Mozambique, who took part in a cleanup as part of the global campaign.

The International Media Center in Kyiv coordinates cooperation with Ukrainian and international media, social media communications, the distribution of stories from participating countries, the creation of an international photo and video archive, and media coverage of the global campaign. Up to 30 volunteers are involved in its work.

The international World Cleanup Day 2026 broadcast consists of two live streams in Central European Summer Time (CEST):

During the broadcasts, representatives from different countries showcase local environmental activities and share how World Cleanup Day is being observed in their communities.

In Ukraine, all activities are carried out in compliance with established safety requirements. Participants must receive a safety briefing, use personal protective equipment, and work only in pre-approved safe areas.

The organizers emphasize that participants must not touch explosive, military, medical, or unidentified objects. In the event of an air raid alert, they must immediately stop work and move to the nearest shelter.

Participation in the initiative is voluntary. Each participant is personally responsible for their own life and health and must follow the established safety rules.

For safety reasons, the organizers also urge participants not to publish:

Last year, on September 20, Kyiv, along with millions of participants from 211 countries around the world, joined World Cleanup Day.

As Rubryka reported, nearly 40% of Ukrainians do not participate in the life of their communities, although 77% support decentralization reform. At the same time, the outflow of young people from rural communities to cities due to limited development opportunities in villages is a related challenge. "Rubryka" explains how a simple tool such as a community cleanup can engage more people in community life while also creating opportunities for young people.