Massive Effort By Kiwis To Clean Up The Country

A huge nationwide effort undertaken by schools, businesses, clubs and families has seen an estimated 190,000 people involved in Clean Up New Zealand Week activities (15--21 September).

Keen New Zealanders joined more than 1,145 groups who participated in a wide range of Clean Up activities, including litter removals, major clean ups of illegal dumping sites, and fashion and art shows made from litter.

Clean Up New Zealand Week project manager, Juliet Malins, says preliminary national results from the week show an increase in numbers involved this year.

"While exact figures have not been confirmed, registrations, reports throughout the week and council feedback indicate that more than 189,653 Kiwis collected rubbish and undertook rubbish reduction activites," says Ms Malins.

"It's great to see so many people taking a responsible attitude towards keeping the country clean and green."

This year schools nationwide led the Clean Up charge by taking part in the Reduce Your Rubbish Clean Schools Challenge, organised and run by the Clean Up New Zealand Trust.

Over 110,350 children from more than 545 schools answered the call to reduce their rubbish and compete for $4,000 cash towards an environmental initiative in their school, with the winning school yet to be announced.

Ms Malins says school children provided an inspiration for clubs, businesses, families and local councils throughout New Zealand to get involved and support the event.

"If every New Zealander thought about how they discarded their rubbish, our country would stay clean. We need to continue encouraging all Kiwis to work towards long--term solutions to reduce rubbish," says Ms Malins.

This year's Clean Up New Zealand Week was supported by the Ministry for the Environment and local councils, and the sponsors were TV3, McDonald's, The Warehouse and DDB Advertising.

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