September 2026 global cleaning calendar: 25 events to track

One month, several kinds of cleaning work

September 2026 has two event calendars running at once. Community groups will clean beaches, rivers, parks, streets, and waterways. Trade fairs will look at the equipment, software, hygiene systems, and industrial processes used by professional cleaning teams.

Those events have different purposes. A volunteer cleanup removes an immediate hazard and can produce useful local evidence. A trade fair is a place to compare products, services, and claims. Keeping the difference clear makes the calendar more useful.

The first half of September

The month opens with MacCormack's Beach Cleanup in Atlantic Canada on 6 September. India then runs Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar from 10 to 19 September along the country's coastline. Singapore has a kayak-based waterway cleanup at Jurong Lake Gardens on 12 September and a coastal cleanup at Yishun Dam on 13 September.

South Africa's Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week runs from 14 to 19 September. The week brings together cleanup work, river health, recycling, National Recycling Day on 18 September, and the International Coastal Cleanup on 19 September.

Professional events begin in Friedrichshafen, Germany, with CLEAN PRO EXPO from 15 to 17 September. ISSA SHOW ASIA in Seoul and CLEANFACT & RHVAC Vietnam both run from 16 to 18 September. Their subjects include facility cleaning, smart equipment, infection control, cleanrooms, and industrial production conditions.

The busiest weekend is 18 to 20 September

Keep New Zealand Beautiful's Clean Up Week runs from 18 to 25 September. The Great British Beach Clean runs from 18 to 27 September across the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. On Saturday 19 September, the International Coastal Cleanup, National CleanUp Day in the United States, California Coastal Cleanup Day, Jamaica's coastal cleanup, and a Rathtrevor Beach cleanup in British Columbia all share the same focal date.

Sunday 20 September is World Cleanup Day. It is also the key date for the European Union's #EUBeachCleanup campaign, with activities held at beaches, rivers, lakes, and urban sites. Brazil's Dia Mundial da Limpeza, Mauritius Cleanup Day, and a Copenhagen land and water cleanup are among the local observances listed for the day. Whiffin Spit on Vancouver Island has a cleanup on 20 September as well.

The month continues after World Cleanup Day

Clean Up Australia runs its Great Spring Clean Up through September and October. Cairns has a series of targeted events at beaches, creeks, parks, and urban sites on multiple September dates, including 5, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, and 27 September.

The professional calendar moves to Shanghai for Texcare Asia & China Laundry Expo from 21 to 23 September. Food Safety & Hygiene Expo Osaka then runs from 30 September to 2 October, bringing sanitation and factory hygiene into the final week of the month.

How to use the calendar

• Start with the official organizer page. Confirm registration, meeting point, access rules, time, and what happens to collected material.
• Choose the event that fits the work. A beach cleanup, an inland litter survey, and a professional trade fair need different preparation.
• Record the place, date, participants, area covered, bags or weight collected, and unusual hazards. Keep estimates separate from counted items.
• Use a Garbamons pin for the site and link the cleanup to a related event when both are part of the same activity.
• Re-check local details shortly before travelling. Event pages can change even when the main date stays the same.

A calendar is useful when it leads somewhere

The strongest September events leave a record that can be acted on. A litter count can point to a blocked drain, a missing bin, or a recurring packaging item. A trade fair can prompt a facilities team to ask for energy figures, repair information, or proof behind a sustainability claim.

Pick one event, check its official details, and document one place or decision. That is enough to turn a date on a calendar into useful local knowledge.

Sources

• UN-Habitat: World Cleanup Day 2026

  Official World Cleanup Day date, theme, flagship observance, and activity registration route. (LINK_ONLY)

• Ocean Conservancy: Cleanups & International Coastal Cleanup

  International Coastal Cleanup overview, cleanup map, organizer resources, and data-collection guidance. (LINK_ONLY)

• European Commission: EU Beach Cleanup

  2026 key date, campaign window, eligible environments, organizer guidance, and event list. (LINK_ONLY)

• National CleanUp Day

  United States event date, cleanup map, registration, and organizer resources. (LINK_ONLY)

• Marine Conservation Society: Great British Beach Clean

  United Kingdom and Northern Ireland dates, beach-clean format, and litter-survey context. (LINK_ONLY)

• Clean Up Australia: Great Spring Clean Up

  Nationwide Australian campaign window and participation information. (LINK_ONLY)

• CLEAN PRO EXPO 2026

  Official Friedrichshafen dates, visitor information, and professional cleaning exhibition details. (LINK_ONLY)

• Messe Frankfurt: Texcare Asia planning and preparation

  Official Shanghai dates and trade-fair information for laundry and dry-cleaning professionals. (LINK_ONLY)