Burgess Global Clean Up 2026 campaign underway for two months

The fourth edition of the Global Clean Up campaign, organised by leading brokerage firm Burgess, is now officially underway, inviting the yachting industry to get hands-on in the fight against water pollution. 

The eco-focused initiative will run for two full months and conclude on World Oceans Day (8 June) and encourages anyone in the superyacht community – individuals, crew, companies and families – to take action where they can by pledging one bag of litter (per person) from their local beach, coastline, river, park or forest. 

In 2025, the initiative saw nearly 500 volunteers take part across 40 locations worldwide, with support from 14 organisations, five yachts and even one school. Collectively, hundreds of bags of waste were removed from the environment in locations from New York to Norway. 

Staff from BOAT International, Burgess and British studio Winch Design also joined forces along the riverbanks of Putney, London – one of many sites around the world where the industry took action.

The 2026 Clean Up will also build on Dutch studio Vripack’s New Wave campaign in collaboration with US-based North Sails by continuing to equip volunteers with repurposed, reusable sail bags and bins for the clean-up.

Andrew Pearson, partner at Burgess, said: “Ocean plastic pollution is on track to triple by 2060, and it’s not just beaches we need to clean. This is our chance to bring teams, family and friends together ahead of the summer season and realise the impact we can all have collectively.”