Shaoxing, China, 22 September 2026 — Governments, cities, international organizations, businesses and communities gathered in Shaoxing, China, on 20 September for the global observance of World Cleanup Day 2026, focusing on how cities can reduce waste and make better use of resources.
Held under the theme “From Clean Plates to Clean Cities”, the three-day programme brought food waste and resource management to the centre of discussions on cleaner and more sustainable cities. The opening ceremony brought together 842 participants, including more than 200 international participants.
The global observance was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China, the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province and UN-Habitat, and organized by the Shaoxing Municipal People’s Government.
From clean-up to prevention
World Cleanup Day grew from citizen-led action to clean up public spaces and communities. In Shaoxing, discussions focused on how this action can be complemented by measures that prevent waste from being generated and improve how waste is managed.
For food waste, this means action across the food system, including preventing unnecessary waste, redistributing edible food, improving waste separation at source, and recovering unavoidable organic waste through composting and other resource recovery approaches.
The discussions also highlighted the role of cities in connecting individual behaviour with the systems that support it, including public services, infrastructure, technology and urban policy.
From global observance to continued cooperation
Several initiatives launched during the observance will support continued action beyond World Cleanup Day.
The Shaoxing Call to Action and Shaoxing Practices Report were launched, providing a basis for continued knowledge exchange and cooperation on cleaner cities and sustainable resource management.
UN-Habitat and the Shaoxing Municipal People’s Government also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen cooperation on urban development and related areas.
A global video relay connected clean-city initiatives and World Cleanup Day activities from different parts of the world, linking the observance in Shaoxing with action taking place internationally.
The programme, held from 19 to 21 September, included thematic discussions, exhibitions and field visits covering food waste reduction, waste sorting, resource recovery, clean-city development and digital technologies for urban environmental management.
Two exhibitions showcased practices from cities and countries around the world, bringing together more than 3,000 industry professionals from over 20 countries and 50 international organizations, as well as more than 800 institutions and companies.
A global United Nations observance
World Cleanup Day became an official United Nations observance following the adoption of UN General Assembly resolution 78/122 in December 2023, which proclaimed 20 September as World Cleanup Day and invited Member States, the United Nations system, civil society, the private sector, academia and other stakeholders to participate. UN-Habitat facilitates the observance.
On 20 September, communities around the world marked the day through clean-ups and other activities. An international broadcast connected activities and voices from different countries through live hubs in Riga, Tallinn and Kyiv.
World Cleanup Day is observed annually on 20 September.
Cover photo: A view of Shaoxing, China, host of the global observance of World Cleanup Day 2026. © Shutterstock