More than 20M people take part in World Cleanup Day

More than 20 million people from 180 countries joined World Cleanup Day (WCD) on Sept. 21, the coordinating group said on Wednesday.

Coordinated by the Let's Do It Foundation, the second annual WCD gathered 20 million people in 180 countries this year, 2 million more people than 2018, and 23 additional countries joined this clean sweep around the world, the group said in a statement.

"World Cleanup Day is a great success only because of the endless devotion and commitment of country leaders and volunteers around the world," said Merili Vares, the group's executive director. "While the number of participants in action this year was even bigger than last year, we can state that ‘trash blindness' is decreasing: World Cleanup Day is curing people of that condition." The next WCD will be held on Sept. 19, 2020, the statement added.

World Cleanup Day is an annual social action program meant to fight the solid waste problem globally, including marine debris. The Let's Do It Foundation, founded in Estonia 11 years ago, says it aims to unite the global community, raise awareness, and implement true change to achieve its final goal — a clean and healthy planet.