Security officers led by Kisii County Commander Ronald Kirui joins County staff and members of the public in a clean-up of Kisii Municipal Market. [Sammy Omingo, Standard].
Kenya joins the world in marking World Cleanup Day by turning attention to one of the most visible consequences of modern consumption waste.
Observed annually on September 20, World Cleanup Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2023 to encourage coordinated action against waste pollution and promote cleaner, more sustainable communities.
The first official observance took place in 2024 in Tromsø, Norway.
In Kenya, the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Deborah Barasa will lead the public in clean up exercise. This year, the global observance carries the theme “From Clean Plates to Clean Cities,” placing food waste at the centre of the campaign.
The aim is drive the message that keeping cities clean is not only about collecting rubbish from streets and public spaces. It is also about preventing waste before it is created.
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The scale of the food-waste problem is enormous. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), about 1.05 billion tonnes of food were wasted in 2022, equivalent to roughly one-fifth of the food available to consumers.
Households were responsible for about 60 per cent of this waste, followed by food-service businesses and retailers.
Security officers led by Kisii County Commander Ronald Kirui joins County staff and members of the public in a clean-up of Kisii Municipal Market. [Sammy Omingo, Standard].
That means ordinary decisions at home can have a significant effect. Planning meals, buying only what is needed, storing food correctly, using leftovers and separating organic waste for composting are among the practical steps that can reduce the amount of food sent to landfill.
The environmental consequences extend far beyond overflowing bins. UNEP estimates that food loss and waste are associated with 8–10 per cent of global greenhouse-gas emissions. Wasted food also represents wasted water, land, energy and labour used to produce, transport and prepare it.
“Reducing food waste makes strong economic sense, delivers real methane cuts, supports food security and helps build a circular, zero-waste, zero-emissions future,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.
The challenge is particularly important for rapidly growing cities, where waste-management systems can come under pressure as populations and consumption increase. UN-Habitat says tackling food waste can help strengthen environmental sustainability, food security and more resource-efficient and inclusive urban development.
World Cleanup Day therefore goes beyond the traditional image of volunteers picking up litter. Cleanup activities remain an important part of the day, helping remove waste from public spaces and raise awareness about pollution.
But the 2026 campaign also highlights the need to examine the systems that produce waste in the first place.
The global observance is also intended to provide a platform for sharing policies, technologies and partnerships that can help cities prevent food waste, develop circular economies and improve waste management.