Keep Waihi Beautiful is the first community group in New Zealand to register for G.J Gardner Homes Clean Up Week 2018.

The group was formed two years ago with the help of district councilor Anne Marie Spicer when it was discovered that more and more rubbish was being dumped all over town.

Sponsored by New World Waihi and Hauraki District Council, the group plans to remove and dispose of rubbish from residential streets around Waihi.

Volunteers can register their own street for a clean-up, or assist with the clean-up of another street.

'We don't just pick up rubbish, we plant trees and remove graffiti from sheds, and all these things are helping generate a sense of pride in our town,” says Anne Marie.

'We want to involve as many Waihi locals as possible in this year's Clean Up Week, as litter is something we're pretty passionate about in our town. Volunteers can start the clean-up from their own street and pick up litter as they walk towards town. We'll host a barbecue and reward volunteers with prizes at the end of the event."

KWB ran a number of events last year and found plastic bottles and cigarette butts made up the majority of the litter collected.

In 2017, students from Waihi College removed and disposed of 24kg of rubbish from their school grounds over one week long clean up.

'We've noticed a shift in local littering habits since starting KWB. Residents, as well as volunteers from last year's clean up week, are beginning to pick up litter they see in the street when they walk their dog or pop to the dairy, instead of walking past it,” says Anne Marie.

'It's fun and it normalizes that putting your rubbish in the bin is the right thing to do.”

The Keep Waihi Beautiful clean-up is happening on Sunday, September 16.

After the clean-up – 67 volunteers all up and 24 bags of rubbish and recycling.