2025's Clean-Up & Recycle Week: Impact Your Environment at Home, Office, and Leisure
Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week returns for another year, taking place from 15-20 September 2025. This nationwide campaign invites individuals, communities, businesses, and schools across South Africa to join the fight against litter and pollution.
The week-long event, organised annually by Plastics SA, the umbrella body representing the entire plastics industry, aims to foster a culture of accountability and respect for the environment. This year, the campaign coincides with National Recycling Day on Friday, 19 September and National River Clean-Up Day on Wednesday, 17 September.
Participants are invited to join clean-up events at local beaches, riverbanks, parks, or neighbourhoods. To actively take part, pick a day during the week and organise or join a clean-up of your community. If you're interested in coastal clean-ups, consider registering via the International Coastal Cleanup registration form, where you may receive logistical support.
The Ocean Conservancy mobile app, Clean Swell, is another useful tool for documenting the types of litter collected. This helps in understanding pollution sources and improving future interventions. Support recycling efforts by separating collected waste before disposal or taking it to a recycling facility near you.
Plastics and packaging products should be reused and recycled after use, not allowed to pollute the environment. These materials are valuable and play a crucial role in the circular economy. In fact, Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week 2025 will involve various material streams, including paper, glass, and metals.
Plastics SA will sponsor thousands of yellow branded bags for litter collection and sorting during the clean-ups. Each bag of litter collected and each bottle or bag recycled is a step towards a cleaner and more sustainable South Africa.
Steyn, the chairman of Plastics SA, encourages everyone to join the initiative. The goal of the initiative is to encourage all citizens to take pride in their environment by participating in clean-up and recycling activities.
Schools, businesses, and communities are encouraged to organise their own clean-up events. More information on how to get involved in Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week 2025 can be found at www.cleanupandrecycle.co.za or www.plasticsinfo.co.za.
By participating, you can share your successes on social media to inspire others. Together, we can make a difference and create a cleaner, more sustainable South Africa.
- Businesses and communities across South Africa are invited to join Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week, which aims to foster a culture of accountability and respect for the environment.
- The Oak Conservancy's mobile app, Clean Swell, is helpful in documenting the types of litter collected during the week, allowing for analysis of pollution sources and improvements in future interventions.
- In support of sustainable living and the circular economy, collected waste should be separated before disposal or taken to a recycling facility, with a focus on reusing and recycling plastics and packaging products.
- This year, Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week will involve various material streams, including paper, glass, metals, and plastics, with Plastics SA sponsoring yellow branded bags for litter collection and sorting during clean-up events.
