Everything you need to know before World Cleanup Day 2018

World Cleanup Day is set to take place on Saturday, 15th September and we want to get involved. September is sustainability month at IMAGE HQ and we’re doing everything in our power to be kinder to the planet. On Saturday, communities from all over the world will venture out to improve their area for the tenth year in a row. It all began in 2008 in Estonia, when an organisation called Let’s Do It gathered 50,000 to clean up illegal waste.

Related: Eight ways to break up with plastic

Since then, the movement has gone international. Over the past decade, approximately 20 million people from 120 countries have taken part. Dublin City Council is encouraging local communities to get involved by providing equipment and refuse bags to groups who need them. They have asked for people to arrange equipment via their local area office here. Will you get in involved this year? Here’s everything you need to know.

Groups to join

• Dublin Main: Meet at St Stephen’s Green at 3 – 4.30 pm
• SICCDA in Dublin 8: Meet at Little Flower Centre, 11 Meath Street at 12 noon
• Tallaght LitterMugs: Meet at the Sean Walsh Park, Tallaght at 10 am – 12 pm
• JCI Dun Laoghaire: Meet at the Ferry Terminal at 12 – 3 pm
• Edenmore: Meet at St. Monica’s Church at 12 pm
• Dodder Action Group: River Dodder/Whitestown Stream, Killinarden, Tallaght at 12 pm
• Monkstown Tidytowns: Meet at Salthill & Monkstown Railway Station at 10.30am to 12.30 pm 
• Phibsboro Tidytowns: Meet at Phibsboro Library at 10 am – 12 pm
• Private Nielsen Company event on September 14th
• Emer Currie FG Candidate: Meet at Tolka Valley Park at 11 am – 1 pm
• JCI Cork: Meet at Berwick Fountain (corner of Tuckey Street and Grand Parade) at 3pm-5pm
• JCI Galway: Meet at Spanish Arch 12nn-3pm (cleanups will be in Eyre Square, Spanish Arch, Salthill, and Headford Road)
• Tidytowns Dungarvan: Meet in Dungarvan (location TBC) at 2 pm

Set up your own cleaning group

World Cleanup Day Ireland organisers shared a post on Facebook saying, “There are lots of ways to get involved in Ireland. You can join an event below or create your own using the five simple steps below.”

1. What time
Decide where you want to do it and what time, e.g. the local park at 12 pm

2. Equipment
Contact your local council to okay it, get equipment and agree on a place to pick up the rubbish when you are finished.

3. Get a partner/sponsor
Organise a thank-you partner like a drink at the local coffee shop or a little party

4. Invite people
Create a Facebook event and link to this page, do a poster or video (contact us for logos)

5. Enjoy and share
Enjoy it; share photos or videos online of your team and all the rubbish you collected and hashtag #worldcleanupday

Health and safety

Organisers want volunteers to have fun on Saturday, but most importantly, to stay safe. Here are their top tips:

The clean-up fashion accessories:

• Wear your gloves to keep your hands clean
• Wear high visibility clothing; be safe, be seen
• Wear strong shoes
• Tie your lovely, long hair back

Stay safe

• Picking Litter within shrubberies is prohibited
• Don’t touch litter even wearing gloves – use your litter pickers
• Never put your hands where you cannot see; don’t go into the bushes
• Stay off the roads
• If something is heavy, don’t struggle – ask for help
• Under 18s must be supervised

Photo: World Cleanup Day Ireland, via Facebook

September is sustainability month at IMAGE. To learn more about our environmental efforts, click here.