Australian businesses have just six weeks to register for Business Clean Up Day. It’s practical team building that strengthens communities. Here’s what you need to know.
Litter in Australia’s streets, parks, bushlands, and waterways continues to escalate. Over 23 million volunteers have stepped up and donated their time since Clean Up Australia’s inception, and the pace of participation keeps accelerating. In 2025 alone, over 800,000 people volunteered across 8,000 events nationally during the Clean Up Australia Day campaign period.
Yet the challenge persists. Pip Kiernan, Chair of Clean Up Australia, states that “our nation’s litter disposal and recycling challenges are continuously shifting but the one thing we know for certain is that too much litter is still making its way into our streets, parks, bushlands and waterways”.
The problem isn’t abstract. Volunteers now regularly encounter emerging litter types: vapes, nitrous oxide bulbs, and discarded face masks. Alongside traditional waste, this real-time data from Clean Up efforts reveals shifting environmental threats that surveys alone cannot capture.
For Australian businesses, the challenge presents an opportunity. Clean Up Australia has specifically designed Business Clean Up Day to give organisations a tangible platform for environmental action.
From Compliance to Genuine Action
Across Australian boardrooms, sustainability has moved from optional to central. With mandatory climate-related financial disclosures well underway, more organisations are moving beyond preparation to actively embedding sustainability into their business strategy.
But embedding sustainability means moving past reporting. The focus is moving beyond compliance, with business leaders now talking less about how to report and more about what is actually being reported: emissions reduction, risk management, and the real-world outcomes behind the data.
This shift reflects consumer and investor pressure. Australian buyers are increasingly conscious. A 2023 TEADS study found that 75% of Australian consumers wanted companies to actively demonstrate their commitment to sustainability.
Business Clean Up Day sits directly in this gap. Pip Kiernan describes it as straightforward but powerful. “With increasing awareness of the impact of litter and waste on our environment, Business Clean Up Day offers organisations a tangible way to demonstrate leadership on sustainability. It’s a simple but powerful way to foster teamwork, raise awareness of best practices, and show a commitment to building a circular economy.”
The event isn’t greenwashing. It’s action. Workplaces register, organise a location, receive a Clean Up kit with gloves and bags, and mobilise staff, customers, or stakeholders. The work is visible. The results are measurable. Public liability insurance covers all registered sites.
Making Team Building Matter
Corporate team-building activities often feel disconnected from purpose. Business Clean Up Day flips this dynamic. Businesses organise outdoors, into their local environment, and play an active role in making a difference.
The format works for organisations of any size. A small team can organise a single local site. Larger enterprises can coordinate multiple sites across regions. Corporate partners and suppliers participate alongside staff. The logistics are supported. Clean Up Australia handles coordination, safety briefings, and kit delivery.
Clean Up Australia also opens pathways beyond the single February event. Organisations can run one-off Clean Up events throughout the year, enter multi-site corporate challenges, or participate in virtual team-building activities focused on reducing workplace environmental footprints. A Workplace Giving Program accepts tax-deductible donations that fund community initiatives and free Clean Up Kits distributed to schools and local community groups.
For businesses already committed to sustainability frameworks, most larger organisations now are. Business Clean Up Day bridges the gap between strategic commitment and tangible community impact.
Registration and Details
Registration is open now at https://cleanup.org.au. Businesses register their workplace, complete payment, and allow 2 weeks minimum for kit delivery. Clean Up Australia recommends registering at least 10 business days before the event to guarantee kit arrival.
Registrations close closer to the event date. For most organisations, the calculus is simple: a few hours of coordination, meaningful team engagement, visible environmental contribution, and a straightforward way to demonstrate authentic sustainability leadership heading into the second half of 2026.
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