National River Cleanup Day

National River Cleanup Day is an annual American holiday dedicated to cleaning up litter in rivers and other bodies of water. People can help nature become better. Such events help to improve the ecosystem of water bodies and make them suitable for swimming. The holiday is celebrated on the third Saturday in May.

History

The history of National River Cleanup Day is sparse, but the first evidence of such an event dates back to 1991. At that time American Rivers was able to unite a huge number of people across America, who took part in a large-scale action to clean up the rivers from litter.

Special attention was paid to the Hudson River, where most of the garbage was collected. Where did it come from? A serious level of water pollution came from the dumping of toxic waste from General Electric. Wastewater is also often discharged into rivers. Cleaning up the rivers from trash can improve the flow of the river and eliminate putrefaction sites, which will improve water quality.

Rivers are important freshwater arteries on the planet, so people must do everything possible to eliminate their pollution and to eliminate the consequences that already exist.

Interesting facts

• The first event in 1991 collected more than a million tons of trash from rivers across the United States.
• More than 3 million people around the world die each year because of drinking contaminated water.
• Plastic bottles are one of the most popular types of water pollution. Of all the bottles produced, only 15% go to recycling.

How to celebrate

Take part in an ongoing river cleanup event. Join a team of volunteers in your city/state and help make nature cleaner.

Spread the word about the holiday on social networks. Ask users, what is the state of the rivers in their area?

When is National River Cleanup Day celebrated in 2024?

National River Cleanup Day is observed on the third Saturday of May.

Observations