Participate In World Cleanup Day – September 15 – Lebanon

We’ve recently raised awareness on global plastic waste, particularly single-use plastic and the dire need to recycle, while also learning how to live a greener, sustainable life. It’s not only to encourage and motivate you, it’s to redirect your energies towards helping mother earth and feeling your connection to the infinite source sustaining your life. If you are not participating in recycling or refusing single-use plastic, you are contributing to the heartbreaking pollution that we’re all living in. The focus now is to build momentum and interest for World Cleanup Day on September 15 in Lebanon.

We are proud that Lebanon will be participating in World Cleanup Day. Just to be very clear, this is not simply a local event but a global action of over 130 countries participating worldwide to better the planet and our lives. The more connected we are to mother earth, the more we can return to our ancestral roots; those who lived off the land and protected it fervently.

The initiator of World Cleanup Day is Let’s Do it Foundation!, which “is a global civic movement with a mission to connect and empower people and organizations around the world for a clean planet.” Wow, this is beyond exciting because the movement has already brought 20 million loving, caring people concerned to clean up more than 500 000 tons of garbage to save our planet and ourselves from our current destructive behaviour. Will you be one of them?

Mark your calendars! This will be a day to gather with your friends, family, and community to raise consciousness and awareness. We are living in our own waste, on the streets and in nature. Did we mention plastic waste is EVERYWHERE? We have to make better choices by firmly saying NO to single-use plastic and by becoming ethical consumers; there is NO other way.

  Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/letsdoitworld/41361863310/

By joining hands, we can participate in a global cleanup that will affect the planet. It is our duty and responsibility as citizens to cleanup our mess. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and bring back the joy and enthusiasm by helping mother earth, ourselves and future generations.

The Story

The story of Cleanup Day started with 50,000 people who joined hands in Estonia in 2008 with the mission to cleanup the entire country in 5 hours. It was ambitious in scope, to say the least, and they collected 10, 000 tons of illegal waste. It would have taken the government 3 years and 22.5 million Euros to do it. It wasn’t an international event, but it was inspiring, motivating and highly effective. Once Estonia showed the world what it could do in 5 hours, it spread to Latvia and Lithuania, who implemented the model and then organized their first Let’s Do It! Cleanup.

It became international in 2010 and was officially founded in 2011 to support countrywide cleanup days. They go beyond waste management, they specifically “focus on social inclusion, democracy and the environment.” Everyone participates at all levels; citizens and experts join together, fusing people from diverse backgrounds.  Let’s Do It! is a non-political and horizontal international network that believes in co-operation and approaches things from a grass-root civic action that is flexible and shares its resources worldwide. This horizontal and malleable approach is truly a revolutionary model that puts the power back into the hands of the people.

Video on the origins of it all:

The results have had an enormous impact. Littering and illegal dumping issues has decreased by 75%. In Slovenia, the capital city, Ljubljana, is working towards becoming the first Zero Waste capital city in the world. Impressive, no?

Let’s Do It! is not simply about cleaning up waste. They have high aims to unite the global community, raise awareness and implement change to achieve their final goal – a clean and healthy planet. The issues connected to trash dumped on the streets and in nature expands on all levels. As trash decomposes, harmful chemicals and toxins leak into the soil, which then spread into the water and air. It has been noted that approximately 80% of ocean litter is derived from land-based waste. Waste is a worldwide problem, our problem.

Philippines’ inspiring video on Let’s Do It!

How to Map Trash:

Download the app for android and iphone.

Here’s the link to understanding mapping.

Watch this short informative video on mapping:

https://youtu.be/_eo9bqxngrw

World Cleanup Day in Lebanon

Here is all the info you need for September 15 in Lebanon: Facebook page and the event. Follow this link to their website.

Get involved by becoming a volunteer. This is truly your opportunity to join forces with your fellow citizens and become the change you want to see in the world. We hope to see you there. Let us know if you will be participating in this massive global cleanup, the largest civic action the world has seen. We can do it together!

Hashtags: #UnitedForACleanPlanet #WorldCleanupDay

References:

https://www.letsdoitworld.org/

http://thegreentimes.co.za/world-cleanup-day-aims-to-create-a-cleaner-world/

https://www.jciuk.org.uk/what-are-you-doing-on-15-september-2018-save-the-date/

https://www.letsdoitworld.org/worldwasteplatform/