Clean Up Week frequently asked questions

Thank you for your interest in Clean Up Week 2023. Please find below a list of frequently asked questions. If you can’t find what you’re looking for please email cleanup@knzb.org.nz.

Frequently asked questions

Clean Up Week will take place this year from 16-22 September 2023.

Registrations for Clean Up Week will open in July 2023. If you’d like to register an event you can do that here.

If you tick that your clean up is open to the public when you register online, then your event will be loaded to the Keep New Zealand Beautiful website calendar, which will allow other people to RSVP and join. You will receive an email notification each time someone RSVPs to your event.

Absolutely! As mentioned above, we have a number of Clean Up Week Event Coordinators who have opened their event up to the public. You can find a list of public events on our website event calendar and RSVP to join online.

This year we’re encouraging all participants to take a climate conscious approach to Clean Up Week by encouraging them to organise their own reusable and sustainable clean up kits using everyday items such as buckets and gardening gloves.

Reusable bags and gloves are available to purchase from our online shop.

Most of us already have the equipment and tools at home that we need to make up our own reusable clean up kits. Here’s some ideas to get you started:

• Buckets
• 10 litre paint pails
• Reuseable bags
• Coffee/fabric sacks
• Reuseable plastic bins
• Animal feed bags
• Garden sacks
• Gardening gloves
• Kitchen tongs

Previously, Keep New Zealand Beautiful offered free clean up kits to all Clean Up Week participants, however this year, thanks to the support of the Mars Wrigley Foundation, free clean up kits will only be available on request for ECEs, schools, youth groups, Keep New Zealand Beautiful branches, Individual/Household and Not-for-Profit Members who don’t have access to their own clean up materials and who haven’t received a reusable kit before. People can also purchase reusable clean up kit resources at cost on our online store.

We’re committed to being as climate conscious as possible by limiting our carbon footprint and what goes to landfill. Our kits are made up of reusable polyprop bags, which we encourage volunteers to clean and use again for next year’s Clean Up Week. We also provide reusable gloves. In the spirit of being sustainable please consider providing only one glove to use for each volunteer.

In addition, we recognise the hard work and contribution of the kids who are helping to Keep New Zealand Beautiful by offering ECEs and schools collectable Clean Up Week badges and digital certificates when they register.

Select councils, Enviro NZ and Waste Management transfer stations have come on board in support of Clean Up Week and are providing free litter disposal. Please refer to the Clean Up Week 2023 Event Guide to see which facilities are taking part and follow the instructions given to ensure that you’re not charged tipping fees – including notifying your local council about your event where required, ringing the transfer station ahead of time to let them know that you are coming, presenting your digital token (received in your confirmation email) at Waste Management and Enviro NZ transfer stations, and ensuring that the person named in your registration form is the person dropping off the litter and has ID with them.

Please note that clean up litter can be disposed of during Clean Up Week (16 -22 September 2022) and up until 15 October 2023.

Some councils are providing Clean Up Week events with free bags and/or gloves. Please check the ‘Important Notes of Specific Councils’ section in the Clean Up Week 2023 Event Guide to see what additional support, if any, is available in your area.

After registering your event on our website you’ll receive an email confirmation with links to download a host of resources to help make your event is a success, including an event guide, posters in English and Te Reo Māori, a press release template, volunteer registration form, incident and accident form and digital certificate.

Unfortunately most littered waste that has been out in the elements will be soiled and therefore not recyclable. However, you may be able to take some recyclable litter home to wash and put in your curb-side recycling bin if your council provides that service. Otherwise, some transfer stations provide recycling options. Please visit your council website or call your council contact listed under ‘Council Contacts’ in the Clean Up Week 2023 Event Guide to find out the details for recycling in your area.

Public areas with high foot traffic and few public rubbish bins tend to attract the most littered waste. These can include beaches, parks and shopping centres. If you’d like more specific suggestions in your local area, we recommend that you get in touch with the council contact listed under ‘Council Contacts’ in the Clean Up Week 2023 Event Guide.

We have included some health and safety guidelines in the Clean Up Week 2023 Event Guide, but please note that it is the responsibility of the Event Coordinator to ensure that all volunteers are aware of their health and safety obligations and to identify/eliminate any hazards.

If you have any further queries regarding Clean Up Week please e-mail – cleanup@knzb.org.nz