Youth from across Europe on retreat at Villa Vrindavana participating in World Cleanup Day.

ISKCON congregations around the world contributed their part in caring for the Earth, Mother Bhumi, by picking up trash and removing unsightly litter along rivers, parks, and roadways as well as tidying up their own temple properties. Their inspiring efforts were in response to an invitation from the ISKCON Environmental Initiative (IEI) encouraging our communities to participate in the global “World Cleanup Day” initiative.

Originating as a small initiative in Estonia in 2008, World Cleanup Day has evolved into a global movement, with millions of volunteers participating worldwide. Although World Cleanup Day occurred on September 20, IEI encouraged devotees to participate whenever was most convenient during September.

“It is very sad to see so much trash filling up our forests, beaches, roads and neighborhoods,” said IEI European Coordinator Kamala Priya Dasi. “Our Vaishnava tradition teaches that we should learn to see the Earth as the Lord’s property and that we should care for her with love and respect.” 

Students, parents, teachers, GBC members, zonal leaders, and other ISKCON members and friends enthusiastically pitched in to assist in the global effort to clean up our planet. 

Stockholm, Sweden

In Sweden, devotees and volunteers from the Ecovillage ISKCON Almvik near Stockholm teamed up with the local Södertälje Municipality to clean up the beautiful coast along Lake Mälaren. The Municipality was happy to provide equipment like garbage bags, gloves, and litter pickers, and at the end collected the trash for sorting and recycling. Later they pubished a post of gratitude at their Facebook page.

Dallas, Texas and Columbus, Ohio

Students from TKG Academy at ISKCON Dallas participated in World Cleanup Day by connecting it with their own “Adopt a Highway” initiative.

Nrtya Kishori Dasi, TKG Academy’s principal, writes in the school’s blog, “Beyond the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary; beyond the physics, biology, or chemistry; beyond the ratios, equations, or statistics, true education is meant for inspiring humanity. It is meant for raising caring citizens.” She continues, “At TKG Academy, we value compassion for all living entities and our environment. What is the use of all of our studies if we don’t use them to benefit the world?”

“One way to put it into practice is by keeping our neighborhood clean. We adopted Kalachandji’s streets and the block around our temple and school. Cleaning our surroundings helps us clean our hearts. It uplifts our consciousness and reminds us that we have power, that we can BE the change.”

Padmaksha Das, the Sunday school administrator at ISKCON Columbus, reported that their children cleaned up the six blocks around the temple.

Europe and Florence, Italy

Bh. Mattia shared that a group of youth from various European countries attended a retreat at Villa Vrindavana, an ISKCON temple and spiritual retreat center in Italy.

During their stay, they wanted to dedicate time and energy to participate in World Cleanup Day by cleaning the gardens and parking areas of the property.

Inspired by Srila Prabhupada’s teachings on cleanliness and responsibility toward the environment, they embraced this opportunity to make a tangible difference. This initiative not only beautified the temple grounds but also served as a reminder of the importance of keeping our environment and heart clean and harmonious.

Brisbane Australia

In Australia, ISKCON Brisbane temple leaders and congregation members, rolled up their sleeves and cleaned the temple surroundings, nearby roads, and parks. Together they collected five big bags of trash. Many passersby and neighbors appreciated their wonderful efforts!

Govardhan EcoVillage, India

Pallavi Priya Dasi from the Govardhan EcoVillage shared that their Sustainability Department led a successful Cleanup Drive with students from Govardhan English Medium School in nearby Galtare Village. A total of 30 enthusiastic participants—including students, teachers, and their sustainability team—worked together to clean up the village area.

Seeing our efforts, local villagers eagerly joined in, helping us clean their surroundings and learning valuable lessons in caring for the environment. This initiative was part of the ongoing ISKCON Green Team initiative, focused on promoting community-led sustainable practices. She said, “Together, we proved that keeping our environment clean is everyone’s responsibility, and small actions can create big changes.  Stay tuned for more such inspiring initiatives from Govardhan EcoVillage!”

Potomac, Maryland (ISKCON of DC)

Before inviting the community to participate in World Cleanup Day during the Sunday Feast announcements, ISKCON of DC Temple President Ananda Vrindavaneswari Devi Dasi listed the recent steps the community had taken to protect the environment. They included:

• The installation of 130 solar panels 
• Permeable pavement in the parking areas 
• Two bio ponds  
• Four acres designated as ⁠Forest Conservation areas
• Composting all cups, plates, utensils, and leftover prasada with a professional company 
• Prohibiting single-use plastic, including tablecloths

Governing Body Commissioner Anuttama Das filled six large bags of trash just from the wooded areas near the Potomac temple.  “Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON’s Founder-Acarya, taught the principle of ‘simple living and high thinking.’ That has become the guiding light for exemplary eco communities like Krishna Valley in Hungary, Govardhan EcoVillage in India, and the Gita Nagari Yoga farm in the US. But, other devotees are expected to embody Krishna Conscious eco-principles as well.”

“We hope that the opportunity to participate in World Cleanup Day will be embraced more and more by ISKCON devotees around the world,” said ISKCON Environment Initiative Co-Founder Shyamananda Krishna Das (Dr. Sreenivasulu Chadalavada). “We all have to do our bit to help. This year was just a start, we hope to have 100 communities helping at World Cleanup Day next year.”

Participating in World Cleanup Day is just one of the many ways Krishna devotees can help the environment. Please visit the IEI website to explore the creative resources and ideas that can help individuals and temples do more to protect the environment. You can also follow IEI on Facebook, where more stories about devotee participation in World Cleanup Day are being added.