Every third Saturday of September, volunteers worldwide set aside their weekend to clear trash from coastlines and waterways. Clearing shoreline litter has grown into a global movement, now drawing roughly 6 million volunteers across more than 100 countries each year.
Beyond removing marine litter, plastic debris, and trash from beaches, rivers, and waterways, the initiative also gathers data used for scientific research and environmental policymaking.
This year’s cleanup, held on September 19, carried themes like “Sea the Change” and “Clean Seas for Resilient Communities,” continuing the movement’s push to protect oceans while empowering the communities that rely on them.
In the Philippines, SM Cares partnered with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to lead this year’s effort, mobilizing volunteers at SM by the Bay and more than 30 other coastal locations nationwide.
Volunteers gathered before sunrise, worked the shoreline, and later saw where the collected waste ultimately goes, connecting the cleanup to a bigger picture of environmental impact.
Across the country, SM branches organized their own versions of the cleanup alongside local partners and government offices. In Pangasinan, SM Center Dagupan and SM City Urdaneta Central drew 2,974 volunteers who together collected 10,490 kilograms of waste.
In Zamboanga, SM City Mindpro and SM City Zamboanga worked with 33 partner organizations to clear over 1,076 kilograms of trash, with hauling handled by the local Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources.
In Cebu, SM Seaside City Cebu, SM City Cebu, and SM J Mall held a joint cleanup that brought together 1,586 community volunteers. Similar cleanups took place in Lucena, Tuguegarao, Davao, and Ormoc, among other locations, each drawing volunteers from their own communities.
Organizers across these sites described the effort as bayanihan in action with people from different sectors showing up for a shared cause. The initiative falls under the SM Green Movement, the company’s ongoing sustainability program supporting community-driven environmental action across its malls nationwide.
The Tayo Mismo team also joined the cleanup at the SM Mall of Asia complex, taking part in the larger effort to clear the country’s coastlines.
Efforts like these are a reminder that environmental action doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, it just takes showing up, picking up trash, and going to the mall with friends.
