River Cleanup
River Cleanup and its volunteers have recovered more than 4.39 million kg of waste from rivers worldwide and aim for 1,000 plastic-free rivers by 2050 (organization figures).
Image: NASA/JPL (PIA23534, Mississippi River).
Last reviewed: 1 source cited
Explain Like I'm 10
- River Cleanup is a group that picks up trash in rivers.
- More than a million helpers have joined.
- Catching trash in rivers stops it from reaching the ocean.
The Five W's of River Cleanup
Who
River Cleanup, a nonprofit, with more than one million volunteers it calls "warriors."
Source: River Cleanup
What
Cleanup events, waste recovery on polluted rivers and education to stop plastic at the source.
Source: River Cleanup
Why
Plastic in rivers breaks into Pieces of plastic smaller than 5 millimeters, about the size of a grain of rice or smaller. They come from bigger plastic breaking apart. Glossary that enter the food chain.
Source: River Cleanup
Impact Statement
Nonprofit solution · active
River Cleanup reports 4,397,462 kg of waste collected and recovered, from 9,137 events with 1,010,740 volunteers (organization figures).
Source: River Cleanup
For Further Information: River Cleanup
More than one million volunteers have joined River Cleanup to pull waste out of rivers.
How This Saves People & the Planet
For People
Cleanups and school programs give communities a direct way to protect their own rivers.
Source: River Cleanup
For Nature
Stopping plastic in rivers keeps it from reaching the ocean.
Source: River Cleanup
Support River Cleanup
Want to go deeper? River Cleanup has the full story.
For Further InformationRelated Solutions
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For Teachers
Discussion questions
- What is River Cleanup, and what problem does it help solve?
- Who is behind River Cleanup, and where does the work happen?
- How does River Cleanup help both people and nature? Use one fact from this page.
Sources are listed with each fact in the Five W's above.
Cite This Page
APA
Saving Planets. (n.d.). River Cleanup. https://www.savingplanets.com/River_Cleanup.html
MLA
"River Cleanup." Saving Planets, https://www.savingplanets.com/River_Cleanup.html.