Volunteers gather beside bags of rubbish they collected and weighed in HCM City’s Linh Xuân Ward during the 2026 World Cleanup Day on September 20. — Photos courtesy of organisers

HCM CITY — More than 10,000 volunteers across 22 provinces and cities took part in the 2026 World Cleanup Day during the weekend of September 19-20, collecting waste, tackling single-use plastic pollution at source, and promoting a circular economy as part of efforts towards more sustainable urban development.

The nationwide campaign was organised by Let’s Do It! Việt Nam, an official member of the global organisation Let’s Do It! World.

World Cleanup Day, officially recognised by the United Nations and held on September 20 every year, brings together millions of volunteers in more than 190 countries and territories to clean up their communities and promote sustainable waste management.

In Hà Nội, the event was held on Saturday morning, at the Mễ Trì Hạ Park in Từ Liêm Ward.

More than 550 volunteers collected and sorted waste, removing a total of 1.7 tonnes, mostly domestic plastic, single-use packaging, and cigarette butts.

The event was supported by the Từ Liêm Ward People’s Committee.

In HCM City, the cleanup took place on September 20 in Linh Xuân Ward, with support from the dormitory and urban area management centre of the Việt Nam National University-HCM City.

More than 150 volunteers collected nearly 700kg of waste.

Participants were briefed on safety protocols and waste separation methods.

Speaking at the opening of the Hà Nội event, Siisi Saetalu, chargé d’affaires ad interim at the Estonian embassy, said World Cleanup Day is not just about picking up rubbish but about taking personal responsibility for the places where people live.

“A single person picking up a piece of rubbish may seem small, but when others see it, they join in and inspire those around them, turning a small act into collective strength.”

Siisi Saetalu, chargé d’affaires ad interim at the embassy of Estonia in Việt Nam, speaks at the launch of World Cleanup Day in Hà Nội on September 19.

Nguyễn Thị Cẩm Tú, national coordinator of Let’s Do It! Việt Nam, said plastic waste represents both an ecological threat and a reflection of unsustainable consumption patterns.

“The campaign goes beyond picking up rubbish; it aims to shift mindsets towards preventing waste at source and treating waste as a resource to be brought back into the circular economy.”

Sayaka Arai, general director of Honda Vietnam, said lasting change occurred when communities acted together, adding that she hoped the campaign would serve as a daily reminder that small individual actions could multiply into a wider community impact.

At the HCM City event, Lê Kim Qui, deputy head of sustainable environmental development at Hirdaramani Vietnam-FGL, said environmental preservation is a core pillar of her company’s sustainability roadmap and that every bag of waste collected reinforced a sense of community solidarity and responsibility.

Volunteers in both cities said they were encouraged by the tangible impact of their efforts.

Volunteers collect and sort plastic waste during World Cleanup Day in Hà Nội on September 19.

Nguyễn Thị Thanh Hoàn, a student at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam in Hà Nội, said taking part has reinforced her belief that young people could drive positive change through small daily habits.

In HCM City, volunteer Lê Thị Xuân Thanh highlighted the active participation of young children and families, saying it shows that environmental awareness is being passed from one generation to the next.

The campaign was also organised in Hải Phòng, Đà Nẵng, Quảng Ngãi, Quảng Trị, Bình Thuận, and Cần Thơ.

It was supported by a number of corporate sponsors, including Honda Vietnam, Unilever Vietnam, Easia Travel, Fashion Garments 2 (FGL), The Body Shop, and Hilton Garden Inn Hanoi. — VNS