September 15 is World Cleanup Day and Cambodia will be participating with 20 million people from 150 countries across the globe, said Ministry of Environment spokesman Neth Pheaktra.

He said that this year, working under the theme “Together for a Clean World”, participants in the Kingdom will strive to improve public spaces across the nation.

Local people, Pheaktra said, should clean their homes and surrounding areas, including public roads and other such places in their community in order to enhance the beauty of their communities.

Minister of Education Hang Chuon Naron appealed to all learning institutions to lead students in cleaning up their campus or nearby public spaces.

He added that littering was a prevalent problem in the country that was hindering economic and social development.

In Phnom Penh, garbage and household waste chalk up some 2,700 tonnes per day. Plastic waste accounts for 18 per cent of the total waste collected from all 12 districts in the capital, said Dangkor Dump Site Management Committee director Keo Channarith on Thursday.

The Ministry of Environment has made moves recently to curb the amount of rubbish that ends up on the streets. Supermarkets are now required to charge customers 400 riel per plastic bag in an effort to reduce waste.