Volunteers gear up to tackle Albany’s litter problems with Clean Up Australia Day events

Albany volunteers will glove up and set out to local bushland, beaches and public spaces over the long weekend to help tackle the town’s litter for Clean Up Australia Day.

2025 marks the 35th anniversary of Clean Up Australia Day, with more than 22 million Australians taking part in clean up events across the three decades.

Keep Albany Beautiful volunteers can be seen around town most days of the week with their orange rubbish collection bags, keeping bushland, parks and roadsides clean for residents and tourists.

KAB committee member Lynley Harrison said keeping Albany litter free was a great way to help out in the community.

“Anything that is community orientated, where you’re spending your time to give back, is something positive,” she said.

“I think it’s great to be involved in something like Clean Up Australia Day if you have the time and energy to give, it’s always important to give back to your community and the place you live in where you can.

“Rubbish seems to attract rubbish, so if the roads are clean they tend to stay that way for longer, and Albany is such a tourism town, so there’s an even bigger impact.”

Keep Albany Beautiful volunteers will be joining a clean up in Little Grove on March 2, with the City of Albany clean up at Middleton Beach happening the following week, on March 14.

City of Albany sustainability project officer Andrea Smithson said joining volunteer events like Clean Up Australia Day were an opportunity for more people to give back to their community.

“There are some amazing volunteers who regularly clean up in our streets and parks, and this is an opportunity for others to join them to take positive, practical action in our community,” she said.

“Supporting events like Clean Up Australia Day can help others to get on board with clean up activities and think about how we can prevent litter escaping into the environment in the first place.”