Fifteen years ago an 'average Australian bloke' had a simple idea to make a difference. This simple idea has now become the nation's largest community-based environmental event and 'Clean Up Australia Day' has attracted more than 6 million Australian volunteers since 1989.

Clean Up Australia Day was born and if a capital city could be mobilised into action, then so could the whole nation. Almost 300,000 volunteers turned out on the first Clean Up Australia Day in 1990 and that involvement has steadily increased ever since. In the past twelve years, Australians have devoted more than eight million hours towards the environment through Clean Up Australia Day and collected over 165,000 tonnes of rubbish.

After gaining the support of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Clean Up the World was launched in 1993. In its inaugural year, Clean Up the World involved approx. 30 million people in 80 countries. The appeal of Clean Up the World (more than 37.5 million people from 128 countries took part in 2001) has demonstrated that this simple Australian idea has universal appeal and the health of the environment is of concern to people and communities worldwide. Many communities have stayed with Clean Up the World since it began and report that not only do they feel empowered to act locally, but are further motivated through the knowledge that their local activities and achievements are shared by communities throughout the world.

earthdive and Clean up the World have some common objectives and a common partner in UNEP - the United Nations Environment Programme - and are delighted to be working together to help promote each others programmes across the world!

For more information visit www.cleanuptheworld.org