EARTHDAY.ORG, Zero Waste International Alliance Unite for International Day of Zero Waste on March 30, 2026

Washington D.C. - EARTHDAY.ORG today launched its official 2026 Great Global Cleanup, mobilizing millions of participants worldwide to combat plastic pollution and build healthier, more resilient communities. As momentum builds toward Earth Day 2026 on April 22, the organization observed today's International Day of Zero Waste by expanding its partnership with the Zero Waste International Alliance.

This year's International Day of Zero Waste collaboration expands to include leaders across the global zero waste movement, including Zero Waste USA, ZeroWaste.Org, Zero Waste Europe and Environmental Alliance. Together, these organizations intend to elevate global awareness around zero waste solutions and call for systemic change to address the accelerating waste crisis. This partnership aims to lay the groundwork for Earth Day 2026 by calling on governments, businesses, and individuals to integrate zero waste principles into climate and sustainability commitments.

The launch comes as EARTHDAY.ORG is tracking almost 6,000 of events in over 180 countries, with public support to protect the planet emerging in response to the most consequential assault on environmental progress in a generation.The scale of organizing stands in direct contrast to the scale of the threat. These are just a sample of the hundreds of thousands of events that will take place in communities large and small around the world.

"Earth Day has always been a story of impossible progress made possible by ordinary people who take action in their own important ways," said Kathleen Rogers, President of EARTHDAY.ORG. "Right now, when so much of what two generations have created is under attack, the answer is not resignation - it is exactly this: show up, organize, and make yourself impossible to ignore."

The International Day of Zero Waste was inaugurated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2023, and highlights the urgent need to strengthen waste management systems and advance sustainable consumption and production worldwide. Humans generate more than 2 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste each year, while almost 3 billion people lack access to waste collection services. Without immediate and effective intervention, global municipal solid waste generation is projected to reach 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050.

"Communities already have the tools to move toward zero waste," said Laura Anthony of Zero Waste San Diego. "When we redesign systems to keep materials in use and out of landfills, we create healthier neighborhoods and economic benefits. International Day of Zero Waste is a reminder that these solutions start locally, and they are already underway."

The Zero Waste International Alliance defines Zero Waste as: "The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health."

Through this collaboration, EARTHDAY.ORG, Zero Waste International Alliance and its global partners will engage communities to share practices, promote education and influence the transition to circular systems in the lead up to Earth Day 2026..

About EARTHDAY.ORG:

EARTHDAY.ORG's mission is to diversify, educate, and activate the environmental movement worldwide. Growing out of the first Earth Day (1970), EARTHDAY.ORG is the world's largest recruiter to the environmental movement, working with more than 150,000 partners in over 190 countries to build environmental democracy. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. Its flagship volunteer initiative, The Great Global Cleanup® takes place year round and engages millions of volunteers in creating clean communities worldwide. To learn more, please visit: EARTHDAY.ORG

For Media Inquiries/background/quotes and interviews:
Colleen Hamilton | 510-325-6703 | [email protected]

About Zero Waste International Alliance:

The Zero Waste International Alliance was formed in 2003 to promote sustainable alternatives to landfill and incineration and to raise community awareness of the social and economic benefits gained when discarded materials are treated as valuable resources.

ZWIA works toward a world without waste through public education and the practical application of Zero Waste principles. The Alliance facilitates research, builds capacity to implement Zero Waste systems, and establishes standards for evaluating Zero Waste achievement at international, national, and local levels.

Sources used:

https://unhabitat.org/international-day-of-zero-waste
https://zwia.org/
https://zwia.org/zero-waste-definition/

For Media Inquiries/background/quotes and interviews:

Colleen Hamilton | 510-325-6703 | [email protected]