On 20 September 2026, people around the world will unite for World Cleanup Day. This year, the focus is on food waste, one of the largest and most preventable waste streams affecting cities and communities worldwide. Did you know that about 1.05 billion metric tonnes of food were wasted in 2022? This amounts to one fifth (19 per cent) of food available to consumers being wasted, at the retail, food service, and household level. [1] Food waste places enormous pressure on waste systems, contributes to climate change, wastes land and water resources, and represents a missed opportunity to build more resilient and equitable systems. [2]
Under the official theme “From Clean Plates to Clean Cities”, World Cleanup Day 2026 connects the choices we make around our plates with the systems that shape our neighborhoods and cities. It calls for action to prevent food waste, keep edible food in use, recover unavoidable organic materials, and build cleaner, more circular and resource-efficient cities. [3]
Speaking of waste, have you seen the seabed litter map layers in the European Atlas of the Seas? Every year, millions of tonnes of litter are generated through a variety of human activities and much of this ends up in the ocean, posing environmental, economic and public health problems. Marine litter is identified as one of the fastest growing threats to the health of the ocean, the diverse marine life it supports and, ultimately, humans consuming food from the ocean. The map layer ‘Seabed Litter - Material categories percentage per year’ identifies the percentage of litter divided into several categories (glass, textile, metal, polymer, etc.). Zoom in on specific areas on the map and click on the graphs to see more information.
What can you do?
- Learn about food waste in the European Union and what can be done;
- Explore the World Cleanup Day website to learn more about food waste and to find out about World Cleanup Day 2026 events;
- Find out about #EUBeachCleanup, a global movement tackling marine pollution, join the wave and find an event near you.
Are you a teacher? Would you like to learn more about the European Atlas of the Seas and how you could use it in your classroom to teach about the ocean? The Network of European Blue Schools is organising a webinar on the Atlas on 21 October 2026 at 6 pm CEST. Participants will have the opportunity to explore the Atlas firsthand and discover practical ways to integrate it into teaching and modules in ocean literacy. Interested? Register now!
The data in the map is provided by EMODnet.
The European Atlas of the Seas is powered by the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet). Don’t miss the latest news, register for the monthly EMODnet News Digest.
[1] https://www.unep.org/resources/publication/food-waste-index-report-2024