Trash Party: A Community Comes Together for Waste Emergency

On Sunday, 20 September, around 80–100 people came together around Courage Field in Auroville for a community trash pickup to mark World Cleanup Day and launch the Waste Emergency AV Bioregion Campaign.

Organised collectively by YouthLink, Eco Service, Wasteless, Spaces of Hope and people from across Auroville and the bioregion, the Trash Party brought together adults and children to tackle litter, connect with one another, and take a first step towards addressing our waste crisis.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

With gloves, bags and waste picking spears, participants split into groups to collect plastic, glass and other waste. There was music, dancing and plenty of community spirit, followed by a group photo, pizza, chocolates and more dancing at Kailash.

The day was a great start to bringing people together, but it also highlighted the work ahead. Because much of the collected waste was not properly segregated, only around 30% could be diverted from landfill. It was a reminder that cleanups are just one part of the solution, we also need better waste segregation, collection systems and collective responsibility.

And this is just the beginning.

• 

• 

• 

• 

The Waste Emergency is a year-long, people-led campaign running from September 2026 to September 2027, bringing together individuals, organisations and communities to tackle the waste crisis across Auroville and the bioregion.

How can you get involved?

•⁠ ⁠Organise a cleanup: Bring your neighbourhood, school, friends or community together. The campaign can help with guidance and logistics.

•⁠ ⁠Join the effort: Get involved in youth initiatives, waste education, research, community outreach or local waste management projects.

•⁠ ⁠Stay connected: Follow the Waste Emergency campaign on social media for updates, upcoming activities and ways to participate. Share the campaign with your friends and communities.

The Trash Party was one day of action. Now, let's keep the momentum going from picking up trash to building systems that stop it from piling up again.

The waste crisis affects all of us. The solutions need all of us, too.