Let's Do It!— World Cleanup Day 2022

Cleaning our cities is a moral responsibility and a civic call to action.

It's no news that waste pollution causes a lot of harm to the environment and such harms include;  water pollution, environmental degradation,  diseases, and other climate-induced environmental hazards.

Hence, it is commendable that many are responding to this climate call by picking up trash on World Clean Up Day.

The Origin of World Cleanup Day

If you are wondering, "How did the world cleanup day start?", here's some background information:

In 2008, 500 000 citizens of Estonia united to clean their country and it was achieved in under 5 hours.

Today, we have World Cleanup Day as a global event where millions of people come together each year, in different locations across the globe to clean their communities and cities, with the first global commemoration of its kind taking place in 2018.

In 2022, 17th September was globally agreed upon as the date for World Clean Up Day 2022. This follows World Cleanup Day 2021 which was commemorated on the 18th of September, and World Cleanup Day 2020 which was commemorated on the 19th of September, 2020.

In other words, the World Cleanup Day event usually is held on the third Saturday in September, each year.

Why you should celebrate World Cleanup Day

It is ignorant to think that you need to be an "environmentalist" to play a part in environmental sustainability.

Do you know that billions of trash are generated each year?

Globally, over 2 billion tonnes of waste are generated on average.

Your generated waste, and mine, and that of the other 8 billion people living account for this figure.

If these figures seem exaggerated to you, you can get an idea of how much waste you are generating and how it's affecting the environment and climate using this footprint calculator.

See? Cleaning up the environment is your business too.

Every Cleanup Counts

Admittedly, we cannot clean our way out of waste pollution and environmental/climate crisis. It is also true that "one Cleanup is not enough to save the environment", but every Cleanup counts.

Take a look at these pictures from one of the World Cleanup Day 2022 locations we joined in Lagos, Nigeria.

Before

After

Can you see why every clean-up matters?

Every cleanup counts because:

• It reminds us what a clean environment looks like.
• It stirs up hope that waste pollution is not beyond us.
• It proves that when we work together, we can effect changes in the most unlikely places.
• It creates a spark in us, that we have something to contribute to our environment.

But, do we keep this fire burning???

Beyond the World Cleanup Day

Sadly, World Cleanup Day is the only time some people ever remember to take care of their environment. This shouldn't be the case.

Think of it this way, all the wastes recovered on World Cleanup Day are a result of accumulated wastes in the environment. So, what would it look if we Cleanup our environment every day?

Or, what if we dispose of our wastes rightly, to begin with?

Or, even better, what if we never generate that much waste in the first place?

Here's our advice for you:

Beyond the World Cleanup Day, keep cleaning the–your–our World.

Practice the R's of sustainability every day. Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover as much as you can.

Let this World Cleanup Day be to you, a reminder that your environment could use your help.

And if you ever forget why you need to constantly take care of your environment, just remember we have only one Earth, and it's ours to preserve.

Happy World Cleanup Day!!

Let's do it, Nigeria!

Let's do it, World!

- Henrietta Awah