Spring is here and with it comes, we are told, the urge to clean. Epic Te Puke hopes that urge can translate into a week-long town clean-up beginning on September 15.

A one-day town clean-up has been held, coinciding with Keep New Zealand Beautiful Week, for several years – but in 2025, things are a little different.

A one-day spring clean will still take place – complete with giveaways, games and pizza – but this year it will be the culmination of a week of litter collection.

Now named the Great Te Puke Tidy Up, the rubbish gathering event will be from September 15-19, again coinciding with Keep New Zealand Beautiful Week.

Epic Te Puke’s Sally Benning said the hope is that schools, community groups and businesses will all become involved, collecting rubbish during the week.

Benning said they will be able to audit the rubbish collected and she hoped representatives will go along to the Spring Clean Pizza Party on September 19, that will start at 3pm at The Daily Café.

The fun event will be a chance to help clean up the town centre, Benning said.

All the rubbish collected will be sorted and weighed to gauge how much and what type of litter there is in Te Puke.

This data, along with audit results, will be shared with the Western Bay of Plenty District Council to help guide future environmental planning and waste management improvements, said Benning.

Among the organisations represented at the pizza party will be MOWS, Envirohub and the Sea Cleaner Trust. The trust is committed to preserving New Zealand’s stunning coastline for the benefit of marine life and for the enjoyment of all.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council staff will also be there with the Bin It Right game – a chance to learn more about recycling and rubbish disposal.