Clean Up Australia Day, 4 March 2012

Mark your calendar - the annual Clean Up Australia Day will be 4 March 2012 and the Clean Up Team has their sights set on increasing the number of site registrations.

In 2011 more than 565,510 volunteers across 7,400 sites removed an estimated 16,464 tonnes of rubbish across Australia. Clean Up Australia's Chairman and Founder, Ian Kiernan AO, is confident that 2012 will be even bigger.

"We're urging all Australians to take notice of clean up hotspots in your local area and let us know where they are - whether you can help out on the Day or not," said Mr Kiernan.

"Your local park, waterways, beaches, road sides or back alleys are key areas and we are asking you to join the  team by letting us know where these areas are."

"Everyone can do their bit for Australia, individually or as part of a team. Clean Up Australia Day is a simple way you can clean up, fix up and conserve our greatest resource - Australia."

"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 Team Clean Up."

In 2012 hundreds of thousands of volunteers will take to the streets with white and yellow bags and don their gloves to clean up their local community.

Registrations for Clean Up Sites are now open to join Team Clean Up in 2012. To register go to: http://www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au

Over the last 21 years an estimated 237,500 tonnes of rubbish have been removed from our environment on Clean Up Australia Day. But with every Australian still producing approximately 2 tonnes of garbage a year, t we still have a long way to go.

CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA DAY 2012

WHAT: Australia's biggest community participation event. Get your Clean Up Team together and register your chosen Clean Up Site or let us know some of the rubbish hotspots in your local area.

WHEN: Clean Up Australia Day - Sunday, 4 March 2012; Business Clean Up Day - Tuesday, 28 February 2012; Schools Clean Up Day - Friday, 2 March 2012.

WHERE: Local rubbish hotspots nationally

WHO: Everyone is welcome - friends, family, kids, community groups, work colleagues, organisations or anyone else.

HOW: Register your Clean Up Site and local rubbish hotspots for Clean Up Australia Day 2012 now on www.cleanup.org.au or call 1800 CUA DAY for more information.