Businesses Called On to Help Clean Up Australia

Australian businesses are being encouraged to sign up for 2019 Business Clean Up Day to help launch a world record attempt.

Terrie-Ann Johnson, managing director of Clean Up Australia, said the charity was working with Guinness World Records to create a category for the most employees engaged in an environmental activity at any one time.

She said Clean Up Australia aimed to use 2019 Business Clean Up Day as a platform to launch its formal record attempt in 2020.

“[We] encourage all Australian businesses, regardless of size, to rise to the challenge to help formalise this as an official entry in Guinness World Records,” Johnson said.

“[This year] will be our trial run, so we need lots of participants to demonstrate that Business Clean Up Day represents the best global performance of employees taking action to protect their local environment and help clean up litter before it pollutes our precious parks, bushland, waterways and oceans and kills our wildlife.

“We need to demonstrate that our systems can measure the outcomes and provide accurate evidence to prove that we reached the participation levels we claim. This will establish a formal way for others to challenge our record, encouraging even more environmental activity.”

Start 2019 with a resolution to help our environment. Register for Clean Up Australia Day at https://t.co/oKtYzmdqgK pic.twitter.com/Of8r8rlRve

— Clean Up Australia (@Clean_Up) January 5, 2019

Johnson said Clean Up Australia founder Ian Kiernan AO, who passed away at the age of 78 last October, was a firm believer that everyone needed to take responsibility for looking after the environment.

“Ian was a competition ocean yachtsman, and would have loved the opportunity to break a world record,” she said.

“So come on Australia, get your work colleagues together to take up the challenge to make 2019 Business Clean Up Day bigger and better than ever, in honour of Ian and setting the benchmark for a world record in the process.”

Businesses can register as a Business Clean Up site, or become a Business Supporter, Business Ally or Advocacy Partner.

“Australian businesses are in the perfect position to be role models for the rest of the community and be seen to take action and play their part in caring for the environment,” Johnson said.

“Change starts with you.”

One business already signed up is BridgeClimb Sydney, whose staff will be encouraged to collect rubbish and recyclables from around Cumberland Street and Dawes Point by the harbour.

BridgeClimb Sydney CEO Chris Zumwalt told Pro Bono News this was the organisation’s 10th year participating in Business Clean Up Day.

“At BridgeClimb, we see ourselves as custodians of the Sydney Harbour and have a keen interest in maintaining the natural beauty of the harbour for our future climbers to enjoy,” Zumwalt said.

He said BridgeClimb was privileged to operate on an Australian icon, and it was the business’s duty to contribute to the sustainability efforts of the community and give back where it could.

“Programs like Business Clean Up Day are extremely important as they bring more awareness around sustainability practices in the workplace and challenge us to improve ours,” he said.

The 17th annual Clean Up Business Day takes place on 26 February. Interested organisations can sign up here.