ABOUT US
About the Hong Kong Cleanup
Having engaged over 1,000,000 participants and cleaned up over 11,000,000 kilograms of trash, since 2000, Hong Kong Cleanup has firmly established itself as a well-loved and vital part of the NGO landscape. Yet more than 2 decades of data and volunteer feedback have shown a need for even greater community engagement and action. Trash jeopardizes the health of the ocean, coastline, country parks, our economy and people. It is everywhere – and is here to stay unless we change our habits.
Founded by Canadian environmentalist Lisa Christensen in 2000, the event started out as a simple grass root initiative – a 1 day beach cleanup event. Lisa and her team have scaled participation on average 65% per year, and it is now recognized as the first and favourite clean up organization in the region, with managed corporate cleanups and free community events running year-long.
Hong Kong Cleanup is a community, with a year long education platform that works with companies, schools, government and individuals to provide practical solutions to help us all live more sustainability every day of the year.
Throughout the year, we organize managed cleanup events for corporations wishing to plan a meaningful, educational team-building day out with their employees. For more information on managed staff engagement events, click here.
We are the official coordinator of the global cleanup movement on behalf of Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, since 2001, and Let’s Do It! World Cleanup, since 2018, which is sanctioned by UNEP.
More recently, we became the official #TeamSeas partner for the region, leading free weekly events for individuals and families. We are so excited about this campaign and believe it will be transformational for our ocean and the communities and wildlife that depend on it.
OUR MISSION:
* To empower Hong Kong citizens to become active agents in keeping our beautiful coastal areas, country parks and city streets safe, clean and trash free
* To increase awareness and instill a level of understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental protection
* To inspire positive change related to waste management, littering and pollution, and for improved public-private cooperation to minimize Hong Kong’s waste production.
Hong Kong Cleanup has been coordinating free community cleanups and other educational activities in Hong Kong since 2000. Having volunteers see the trash, collect it, and record data about it, raises awareness of the local and global debris issue. Once you have removed hundreds of plastic straws from a beach, or a bag full of cigarette butts from a hiking trail, your outlook on trash begins to shift, and this understanding can lead to transformation and change of habits.
Our vision is that one day, we won’t need to be doing cleanups. We hope to raise awareness and inspire change so that far less trash is generated, and none ends up in our natural ecosystems. Be part of that vision – join the Hong Kong Cleanup!
How to participate in Annual Cleanup Challenge?
THREE CLEANUP CHALLENGES:
There are three Cleanup types to choose from, and you can do as many as you like with your company, organisation, school or family:
1. Coastal Cleanup Challenge: Beach cleanups bring awareness to the vast and vital issue of marine debris, especially disposable plastic, which washes up on Hong Kong’s shores with every tide. It is a fun, fulfilling day out for any size of group.
2. Country Cleanup Challenge: Detrimental amounts of litter and trash can be found in all of our country parks. Hiking trail and country park cleanups educate about littering and its effect on the natural world we all need and enjoy.
3. City Cleanup Challenge: We are fortunate to have over 10,000 city workers removing trash from our city streets, parks and schoolyards every day, yet you’d be surprised at what is there, once you really take a closer look. Participating in an urban cleanup will not only make a difference but be a guaranteed eye-opening experience for many.
EMAIL US FOR A QOUTE: [email protected]
CONNECT WITH US:
Hong Kong Cleanup is active year-round! Connect with us on IG, Facebook and Twitter to stay informed and meet like-minded people!
The Challenge Competition
All registered teams that submit data are automatically eligible for awards including:
Most Trash Collected (Corporate / Non-corporate)
Biggest Team (Corporate / Non-corporate)
Best Team Spirit
Greenest Team
Weirdest Item Found
And more!
Why Participate?
The statistics are simple and revealing. In Hong Kong, every day, we throw away over 16,000 tonnes of trash – including an estimated 1,368,000 disposable plastic bottles, 1,000 tonnes of plastic bags, 3,200 tonnes of food waste, and countless more tonnes of disposable plastic wrapping, packaging, and other household waste. Every. Single. Day.
Our landfills are full, and we consume and throw away more than our city’s infrastructure and surrounding ecosystems can handle – jeopardizing wildlife, economies, and our own health and safety. It’s time we took responsibility for our city and the ecosystems that sustain us.
No special abilities are required to participate in the Hong Kong Cleanup Challenge, only a desire to help. Participants are engaged in first-hand learning about the human-created problems of litter, plastic pollution, habitat destruction and toxic debris, and discover that the solutions are within their grasp.
Managed Cleanups
Want help with your first cleanup, or looking for a meaningful, well-organised corporate engagement activity? Our events team are cleanup experts, and can work with you to create an educational, fun, memorable event for any size of group. Enquire at [email protected] for a managed cleanup proposal.
About The Organisers