The opening of registrations for Clean Up Australia Day 2022 came after pandemic lockdowns and changed habits fuelled a significant increase in plastic waste. Even as our lifestyles began to return to normal, our environment continued to experience the impact, with a huge surge in single-use plastics and an unwelcome rise in disposable masks littering our streets and waterways.
The United Nations estimated that globally around 75 per cent of the used face masks, as well as other pandemic-related waste, would end up in landfill, or floating in our oceans. The damage of single-use plastics left in the environment will outlive us all and plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental issues facing the planet. So, we were heartened to see our volunteers get out in droves to Clean Up Australia this year (despite devastating floods across much of Queensland and northern NSW), with a strong focus on removing masks and pandemic related litter. The wonderful volunteer spirit of so many Australians continues to inspire me every day.
Although best known for our national day of action, Clean Up Australia advocates that prevention is better than a cure. We focus as much on preventing rubbish entering our environment as we do on removing what has already accumulated by championing solutions that move us towards a circular economy. Our rallying call, that all Australians can step up and make better environmental choices every day is truly resonating.
We know that the community desire for change is enormous; a survey of 9,000 of our Clean Up Australia volunteers in 2021 revealed 95% of them were strongly supportive of the phasing out of problematic single use plastics.
Gratifyingly, state governments across the country continued to pass legislation to phase out many problematic singleuse plastics but there is still a long way to go to stop plastic polluting our nation.
Australia is finally on track for a nationwide container deposit scheme, with the Tasmanian Parliament passing its Container Refund law in March 2022. Dad was an early advocate for a nationwide scheme and worked hard over decades to push for it; he would have been delighted that every state and territory will now have a scheme for people to deposit containers in exchange for cash, donations, or credit. This will make Australia
the first continent to support a comprehensive container return scheme and we strongly support wine bottles and other containers being recognised as eligible containers.
Our long-standing CEO, Terrie-Ann Johnson has announced her retirement later this year. Her unwavering loyalty to Clean Up Australia and commitment to the millions of volunteers through her 19-year tenure marks a truly commendable contribution to our precious country. am particularly grateful for her stewardship following the death of my father and wish her happiness in her retirement years.
Terrie-Ann will be succeeded by Jenny Geddes who joins in October this year. Jenny brings a wealth of expertise in the notfor-profit sector having held the CEO role at Workplace Giving Australia for a decade. The Board and I feel fortunate to have found such a high-calibre person and look forward to working with her.
We continue to diversify our funding and strengthen the financial position of Clean Up Australia and are so grateful for the support of our dedicated partners who share our vision and the generous support from community donations. Through their support, we are able to provide free clean up materials and education resources to schools and the community across the country.
FY22 began as a year during which doors reopened after local lockdowns and communities, businesses and government agencies took every chance to spread their wings. And then it started to rain …. and rain…and rain. On the eastern seaboard our communities lived through heart-breaking floods, while in the west, bushfires raged.
Australia again saw the true spirit of community-based volunteering as individuals, local businesses and affected councils drew on all of their resources, galvanising immediate and longer-term action. Our national Clean Up Australia Day became a month of action, as we provided additional materials to affected councils and supported community and business groups as they faced the mammoth task of cleaning up. Local efforts cannot be underestimated, and we remain awestruck by the resilience of those directly impacted by repeat events.
As the financial year came to a close, advised my colleagues and Board that I am in the fortunate position to be able to hang
up my rake and take early retirement, spending time enjoying the environment I have been proud to champion for nearly two decades.
During my Clean Up Australia chapter I have been privileged to work alongside hundreds of thousands of volunteers, numerous local, state and federal government people, environmental agency colleagues and a series of teams and Directors dedicated to delivering the best possible outcomes.
Time working under the guidance of our founder Ian Kiernan
AO was my awakening, and I remain indebted to this great man for the environmental passion and knowledge he so generously shared. I look back on my time at Clean Up Australia with fond memories of mountains we climbed, challenges we faced, friendships made and successes we celebrated.
I know I am leaving Clean Up Australia in the hands of a Chairman, Board, new CEO and team who will steer Clean Up Australia into its next phase through innovation, best practice advocacy and new action-based projects while continuing to deliver the best possible support to the most important people - the wonderful volunteers who are Clean Up Australia.
Terrie-Ann Johnson Chief Executive Clean Up Australia
Sunday 6 March 2022
Despite floods ravaging eastern states, and bushfires impacting the west, an estimated 607,376 volunteers, supported by 197 active councils, donated more than 1,215,752 hours to clean up 7,622 sites in local parks, waterways, beaches, bushlands, and roadways. Once again reinforcing the relevance of Clean Up Australia Day as the largest community mobilisation event of its kind in the Asia Pacific region.
During the month of Clean Up Australia action the re-opening of schools saw a 14% increase in pre and primary school registrations – with teachers keen to engage their pupils in a rewarding outdoor group activity.
Business registrations increased by 4% over 2021 site numbers, reflecting corporate enthusiasm for team building activities as their people returned to offices and facilities.
Whilst local COVID-19 related challenges continued, community registrations remained on-par with 2021 – with volunteers rising to the challenge of an Australian-first citizen science project focused on identifying the scale of a key pandemic-related litter item - the disposable face mask.
We knew that in 2020, more than three billion single-use masks were thrown out across the globe every day, contributing to a significant portion of pandemic-related litter. However, locally, the extent of this problem remained unclear. So, commencing on Clean Up Australia Day, our volunteers were asked to unmask the impact of the problem by tallying the number of face masks collected and removed during their clean up action.
Across the nation, 78% of volunteers who submitted End of Clean Up data counts reported finding face masks.
The Great Northern Clean Up (GNCU) is Clean Up Australia’s event dedicated to communities north of the Tropic of Capricorn.
Since 2009 an estimated 46,686 volunteers have registered 1,364 locations, removing rubbish that has accumulated after the peak tourist period and prior to the cyclone season.
In 2021, GNCU ran throughout the months of August to November, attracting an estimated 9,248 volunteers at 132 registered sites, supported by 20 local councils.
The organisation supports the community to clean up throughout the entire year and during FY22 173,941 volunteers participated at 3,283 every day Clean Up Australia sites, donating 347,882 hours of their time in community service.
This represents an impressive 260% growth in everyday participation over FY2021.
Throughout July 2021, Tasman Council held a month of action across the Tasman and Forestier Peninsula.
In October and November, Tamar Natural Resources Management hosted the Catch It in the Catchment campaign in collaboration with Plastic Free Launceston, City of Launceston, George Town Council, West Tamar Council, and Clean Up Australia. The campaign organised 21 events across the Tamar estuary.
‘Plogging’ is a Swedish word for picking up rubbish while jogging or exercising, and in 2022 companies and individuals again embraced the term as an offering that was a fun way to keep fit and promote sustainability.
Volunteers are able to plog at a time that suits them, track distance covered, rubbish collected, and even raise vital funds to support Clean Up Australia.
During FY22, 78 individuals registered – with 53 forming 29 teams and the remainder going solo.
Many businesses saw plogging as a great way to create both actual and virtual teams to bring their employees together.
During FY22 there were two corporate options offered: The Corporate Challenge during September, under which 27 companies registered 127 participants and Corporate Plogging, under which 12 companies registered 139 team members.
Getting out in the open air and walking makes you feel good, more energetic, mentally alert and physically fitter. Even better if you can hook in with a friend or friends and explore new places. During FY22, 60 Aussies decided to go one step further and add a purpose by participating in Clean Up Australia’s adopt a street to keep it neat!
Get Fitter With Litter is a healthy, fun way to reduce the problem of litter in your own neighbourhood. So, when walking the dog, popping out to the shops, taking children to school or socialising with friends, why not join them and take a bag and pick up litter as you go.
Clean Up the World members register activities year-round, celebrating their achievements during the Clean Up the World Weekend - the third weekend of September.
During the FY22 campaign period, 131 registered members ran activities across 45 different countries.
2021 registrations increased by 17% on 2020 with Latin America nearly doubling its participation.
Across the globe, the split of member action across regions was:
• 27% Latin America
• 26% Africa
• 18% Europe
• 13% Asia and the Pacific
• 8% North America
• 8% West Asia
In line with previous years, the predominant type of groups registering for Clean Up the World are Non-Governmental Organisations, charities and community groups.
This three-year sporting facility program, launched in 2021 and delivered in partnership with PepsiCo, aims to reduce waste at the amateur sporting fields across the country. Participants undertake a series of self-delivered modules that include understanding the scope of waste at their facility, exploring and implementing better reduction and/or recovery practices and are rewarded as items previously discarded as ‘rubbish’ are turned into new items.
During 2022, 72 facility staff enrolled in the program with 29 reporting completion of milestones. Councils have proven to be key to the success of a Club’s endeavours, and Clean Up Australia acknowledges Albury City Council’s support of two local sports clubs - North Albury Football Netball
Club and Melrose Football. Both clubs were provided with collection stands and bags, signage, and social media content to get them started. Council also helped them fill out the paperwork associated with the campaign and regularly collected waste from their facility.
Recykool is an innovative online module-based program that helps students, teachers and ancillary support staff better understand and manage the rubbish and litter that accumulates at their school. By guiding participants through the simple step-bystep process towards a greener outcome, this online course provides information, resources, tools, and initiatives to rethink waste.
During 2022 Clean Up Australia embarked on a revitalisation program of our educational offerings for pre, primary and high school teachers. Cool Australia was engaged to review and update online, curriculum-based lesson plans resulting in year one delivery of [between Nov 2021-October 2022]:
• 6 new resource offerings
• 6,835 individual resources downloaded by 1,321 teachers
• Estimated student reach of 175,639
• 93% of teachers agreeing that students are more prepared to take action on environmental and social issues
Hosted by professional facilitators, Clean Up Australia’s bespoke Team Building with Purpose sessions focus on the sustainability challenges Australia is facing and how Clean Up Australia works in partnership with governments, schools, businesses, and community groups to educate and inform Australians about our waste challenges.
The 2-hour sessions include interactive fast-paced simulation exercises and thought-provoking discussions through which groups see myths debunked, learn how they can Step Up to improve their environmental footprint and make a real difference.
During FY22, 50+ employees from three companies undertook the challenge with many following up with localised Clean Up Australia activations.
The Australian Government, the Australasian Packaging Covenant, the Australian Council of Recycling and the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia all recognise the importance of creating a market in Australia for recovered resources.
By increasing awareness of products, packaging and producers which situate themselves firmly within a circular economy, our Buy Recycled platform helps showcase innovative solutions across a broad variety of collections: Fashion and Activewear, Jewellery and Accessories, Kitchen and Food, Bathroom and Cosmetics, Laundry, Homewares and Furnishings, Sport and Recreation, Pet Products, Office and Stationery, Renovations and Flooring, Garden and Landscaping and Upcycled Art.
Recycled content products listed on the platform contain at least 20% recycled content by weight of product, with many products containing at least 40% recycled content and others made from 100% recycled materials. Recycled content packaging listed on the platform meets Australia’s 2025 National Packaging Targets, with packaging containing at least 50% recycled content.
Clean Up Australia’s Rubbish Report is a snapshot of rubbish removed by volunteers during a calendar year. Typically, around 10% of all sites are surveyed, with volunteers opting to provide this data. Since 1991, it has proven to be an invaluable resource in identifying trends in the types and spread of rubbish throughout Australia and continues to demonstrate the importance of refusing, reducing, re-using and recycling rubbish. Across the nation, for the 28th consecutive year, plastics continued to dominate as the most commonly reported material type.
Although still best known for one day of truly significant environmental action, Clean Up Australia has evolved to focus as much on preventing rubbish entering our environment as it does on removing what has already accumulated, by advocating for and championing solutions that move us towards a circular economy.
Although during FY22 we welcomed the escalation of state-led banning of a number of problematic single-use plastic items, a recent report by the Minderoo Foundation revealed Australia generates the most single-use plastic waste per capita in the world, with the equivalent of 60kgs of waste for every Australian per year. Clearly, there is much work still to do and Clean Up Australia actively supports communities, businesses and governments advocating for better access to resource recovery programs and implementing solutions that demonstrate circular economy action.
2022 was also the year when Australia became the first continent to embrace container refund schemes. While yet to be operational in Victoria and Tasmania, we look forward to a continued expansion and national harmonisation.
We also welcome and applaud the opening of stateof-the-art collection and recycling facilities such as the nation’s largest PET recycling plant - Circular Plastics Australia in Albury – which is capable of processing one billion plastic bottles each year.
In association with Clean Up Australia Day 2022, Coles Liquor again adopted Clean Up Australia as its beneficiary partner for its Drop of Good Campaign. Donating 25c from sales of all nontobacco products in Liquorland and First Choice stores over the weekend of Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 March, the initiative raised over $115,000 which was allocated to the purchase of Clean Up materials in support of everyday action.
This initiative was in addition to the support of Coles supermarket shoppers, through which 30c from the sale of hessian reusable bags and 2c from the marine content reusable plastic bag is donated to Clean Up Australia. So, when you see a Coles shopper with a hessian or blue reusable bag, give them a smile of thanks from us!
Through a partnership with Unilever, we celebrated and promoted the use of recycled content in packaging. This, our third joint sustainability event, saw Unilever partnering with Coles and Clean Up Australia to educate shoppers on closing the plastic loop, by choosing recycled plastic and resulted
in a $100,000 donation to Clean Up Australia via a 10c donation on participating products purchased.
We work with our Allies to encourage their network to participate in Clean Up activities and to make more sustainable choices, while promoting the vital role our Allies play in supporting Clean Up Australia.
We are also grateful to the many businesses which choose Clean Up Australia as their beneficiary, especially noting:
Platinum Cables which annually donates 1% of their profit to Clean Up Australia, this year totalling $90,000
• Commonwealth Bank of Australia provided a grant of $75,000 for the purchase of materials to enable Clean Up Australia to work with local governments across Australia to assist them to become disaster ready
• Employees of Jemena, who nominated Clean Up Australia as one of four beneficiaries of funds raised during a series of initiatives undertaken during the calendar year
• Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour which donates profits from the sale of biodegradable ponchos
• Vibe Coffee an online retailer of coffee beans and biodegradable pods which donates 7% of every order to Clean Up Australia
• Slalom Australia – employees of which donated their skills and their Christmas bonus to Clean Up Australia
Donating to Clean Up Australia means you can be part of Australia’s waste solution, all year round. We pledge 100% of your tax-deductible donation goes directly to empowering Australians to take action for the environment.
Clean Up Australia is proud to have achieved the ACNC seal of approval as a compliant registered charity that fulfils our allocation pledge.
Donations help fund free resources and materials to communities, schools and youth groups throughout the year, supporting all Australians to clean up, fix up and conserve the environment.
As an additional fundraising stream and to offer our community an alternative means of donating, Clean Up Australia continued its association with Play for Purpose, an innovative fundraising solution that is a not-for-profit online raffle. Supporters buy tickets for $10, knowing that a minimum of $5 from every ticket is donated to Clean Up Australia.
During 2022 we also secured the support of PayPal, encouraging users to donate to Clean Up Australia at checkout during transactions made in the month of March. PayPal users could also nominate Clean Up Australia as their favourite charity on the PayPal app and make a $1 donation each time they checkout throughout the year.
You can see the full list of corporate donors at https://www.cleanup.org.au/2022-changemakers
Cleanaway works with Clean Up Australia to initiate, demonstrate and deliver sustainable practices that reduce environmental impact.
Clean Up Australia enjoys a number of key partnerships which focus on the delivery of key outcomes and benefits for the community we support.
Amazon distributes clean up kits during the Clean Up Australia Day campaign.
McDonald’s – our Founding Partner - actively encourages its restaurants across the country to work with local communities to reduce littering.
IQ Renew hosts the Clean Up Australia team in its North Sydney offices. Look Print provides us with banners and commemorative certificates.
Shop-A-Docket has been with us for over two decades, helping us spread the word through their platforms.
Australian Government
Clean Up Australia Day receives an annual grant to supplement salaries of the delivery team.
Cleanaway Daniels provide us with the sharps containers that enable the safe collection and disposal of needles.
Shopper is Australia’s fastest growing digital out of home advertising company and they offer us unparalleled advertising exposure in hundreds of shopping centres all over Australia
SodaStream –SodaStream has joined forces with Clean Up Australia to eradicate single use plastic drink bottles.
During FY22 Clean Up Australia worked with 22 companies who became Business Supporters – encouraging their employees and suppliers to participate in hands-on Clean Up action.
What was started over thirty years ago, by an “average Australian” who had a simple idea to make a difference in his own backyard has now become the nation’s largest community-based environmental event in the Asia Pacific Region - but none of it could happen without the assistance of our valued partners who provide essential professional services free of charge:
• Hunt & Hunt lawyers
• Ernst & Young
• Slalom
• Spark Foundry Australia
• Uberbrand
• Cummins South Pacific
An alliance with Clean Up Australia is aimed at creating a non-financial partnership focusing on joint initiatives and mutual promotion. Across Australia we actively work with 18 community and 5 business allies.
Sources of Income:
Sponsorship In-kind
Corporate sponsorship
Donations
Other revenue Government grants
Merchandise sales
Expenditure:
Campaign delivery* Administration Insurances
Fundraising Travel
128,243
100,000
58,953
921,838
661,592
3,018,725
Total: $4,889,390
3,995,553
323,410
27,247
20,607
6,226
Total: $4,373,044
*Clean Up Australia Day/ Great Northern Clean Up/ Everyday Clean Up
Terrie-Ann Johnson
Chief Executive Officer
Johann Kytzia
Operations Manager
Nicki Martin
Marketing & Communications Manager
Andrew Snedden
Community Relationship Manager
Amanda Cox
Corporate Partnerships Manager [January-June 2022]
Lucia Moon Customer Service Officer [January-June 2022]
Our Board
Belinda Diprose [16 December 2021]
Catriona Dixon
Brett Hearnden
Company Secretary
Maurene Horder
Pip Kiernan Chair
Terrie-Ann Johnson
Managing Director
Andrew Post
Daniel Ratner
Office volunteers
Romayne Braid [admin]
Teresa Peng
Our Advisors
Ernst & Young [auditing]
Haystac [media relations, CUAD]
Hunt & Hunt [legal]
Uberbrand [graphic design]