Aussies urged to clean up every day

CLEAN Up Australia Day organisers have warned people to take more responsibility for their litter after more than 16,000 tonnes of rubbish was collected during the national working bee.

About 550,300 volunteers joined the clean up efforts at 7341 sites around Australia yesterday (Sunday).

Clean Up Australia Day founder, Ian Kiernan, says early estimates indicate volunteers collected 16,150 tonnes of rubbish.

A staggering number of cigarette butts, glass, plastics and paper recyclable materials continued to clutter parks, beaches, waterways and roadsides, he says.

“We all need to take more responsibility for our local environment every day of the year rather than our national clean up day,” says Mr Kiernan.

New South Wales volunteers collected an estimated 6470 tonnes of rubbish, followed by Victoria’s 3185 tonnes and 3130 tonnes in Queensland.

Clean Up Australia Day has become an annual fixture after first being held in 1989.

Last year, an estimated 591,400 volunteers removed 16,169 tonnes of rubbish from 7363 sites across the country.