After the devastating storms and floods of the past few months, Cleaning up Australia has perhaps never been more important. So if you see people wandering around your neighbourhood this Sunday wearing gloves and carrying white and yellow rubbish bags, feel free to wade in and lend a hand.
These people are your community taking time out to help Clean Up Australia. They may be in parks, sporting fields, at the beach, on bike tracks or along the side of the road. They will also be in the bushland, rivers and creeks where flood debris has accumulated.
In 2012 more than 591,400 volunteers across 7,363 sites removed an estimated 16,346 tonnes of rubbish across Australia. Luckily, 80 per cent of the rubbish collected is recyclable.
Clean Up Australia's Chairman and Founder, Ian Kiernan AO, is confident that 2013 will be even bigger.
"Think of the places that are important to you - your local park, sporting fields, beaches, walking tracks, neighbourhood streets and bike ways - and pull together your own team to join us."
It’s not too late to register a clean up hotspot you know about, at cleanupaustraliaday.org.au
Since the event started Australians have donated more than 25 million hours across more than 137,500 sites, caring for the environment by removing over 272,500 tonnes of rubbish.