Take Action on World Cleanup Day, el Día Mundial de Limpieza

Every year, humans create 2.12 billion tons of waste (industrial, electronic, radioactive, plastic, etc). Unless something changes, that number will increase by 70% by 2050. 

Is there anything you can do to stop this urgent issue? Yes! You can participate in World Cleanup Day to raise awareness of the problem, and start solving it one day at a time. 

What Is World Cleanup Day?

In short, World Cleanup Day is precisely that: a day to clean up our planet. Over 20 million volunteers from 180 countries participate in this massive movement. 

In 2020, World Cleanup Day will take place on Saturday, September 19. Although the pandemic has changed the way this global event will work, it’s still taking place in many countries around the world with specific prevention measures.  

History

It all started back in 2008 in Estonia. Citizens of this northern European nation decided that enough was enough. Amazingly, 50,000 people united efforts to clean up their entire nation in just five hours! 

That day was inspiring. People from all over the world watched in awe. And the “one country, one day” formula started to catch on around the world. 

Over the 11 years since that historic day, the idea has become a global movement involving millions of people. In 2018, 18 million people joined in the effort, and in 2019 over 20 million got involved. 

Purpose

World Cleanup Day is managed by Let’s Do It World (LDIW), an organization that envisions a “clean and healthy waste-free planet.” LDIW is pushing for a shift in the way countries manage their waste. They focus on improvements in design, production, and consumption. Raising global awareness of the problem of waste is one objective of LDIW, but implementing lasting changes in waste policies and waste management is their end goal. 

World Cleanup Day Around the World

People all over the world participate in World Cleanup Day differently.

Colombia

Amazingly, 10,000 volunteers around the country collected 161 tons of waste in 2018. The organization ¡Vamos a hacerlo, Colombia! collaborates with environmental leaders to share best practices in waste management. Major organizations support the event, such as the World Wildlife Fund and the Colombian Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. 

Austria

In Austria, to prevent volunteers’ backs from hurting the day after the cleanup, they introduced yoga breaks! (I like the way Austrians think.) They clean 11 locations throughout the country and along the banks of the Danube River. 

Mexico

With 3,438 volunteers in 18 states, Mexico cleaned 71 tons of waste and 7 tons of recycling materials in 2019. Mexicans went out to clean their beaches, lakes, roads, and city squares.

Mongolia

In Mongolia, people celebrated World Cleanup Day with a sacred ceremony at the holy river of Tuul. With around 7,000 Mongolians participating in the global event, they expected to collect 2,250 tons of garbage. In Mongolia, citizens and the government work together to clean up the country. 

Spain

In the city of Ceuta, the Red Cross is the organization responsible for making World Cleanup Day happen. Over 100 people sang and cleaned a beach. The event brought the community together and helped raise awareness of the problem of waste. 

What Can You Do? 

If you are interested in participating in World Cleanup Day, the organization has teams all over the world that you can join as a volunteer.

Get the Kids Involved

The success of global movements like this one is based on the youth. The kids get it! And with good reason—they are the ones who will have to clean up our mess when we are no longer here. 

Share the stories of World Cleanup Day with your kids. Show them the pictures and videos from the links above and explain the global problem of waste. If you really want to catch their attention, tell them about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an island of plastic trash in the ocean that’s bigger than Texas. 

Work With Your Community

What if your community doesn’t participate in the World Cleanup Day? Schools and local councils are always looking for this kind of initiative. Especially when it’s a global event with millions of people participating. 

Talk with your child’s teacher or principal. Organizing a beach cleanup, for example, is not complicated and the experience is extraordinarily educational. I’ve done it in my community, and my middle school students were taken aback by the amount of garbage on the beach. 

World Cleanup Day: Spanish Vocabulary

reducir – reduce 

reusar – reuse 

reciclar – recycle 

plástico – plastic 

llantas – tires 

vidrio – glass 

latas – cans 

papel – paper 

metal – metal 

ropa – clothes 

basura – trash 

residuos – waste 

vertedero – landfill 

emisiones – emissions 

vapores – fumes 

tóxico – toxic 

energía – energy 

electricidad – electricity 

combustible – fuel 

gas, gasolina – gas

gasolina – petrol 

solar – solar 

petróleo – oil 

agua – water 

aire – air 

Tierra – Earth 

medio ambiente – environment 

hábitat – habitat

contaminación – pollution 

ozono – ozone 

orgánico – organic 

composta – compost 

cultivar – grow 

paseo – walk, ride

tren – train 

autobús – bus 

químicos – chemicals 

reparar – repair 

renovar – renew 

sustentabilidad – sustainability 

biodegradable – biodegradable 

biodiversidad – biodiversity 

contaminantes – contaminants

Happy World Cleanup Day! Take advantage of the perfect opportunity to do something about the global problem of waste. 

Want to learn more about Latin American culture? Check out these posts!