The Port of Tauranga is hosting a corporate clean up this Friday as part of Keep New Zealand Beautiful's Clean Up Week.

This annual event is once again asking Kiwis to 'Do the Right Thing' and come together to make a collective difference by getting involved in this year's Clean Up Week between September 17-23.

Clean Up Week is Aotearoa's largest movement against litter, this year galvanising more than 60,000 businesses, schools, community groups and individuals to actively participate in cleaning up their little patch of New Zealand, and to focus Kiwis' attention on just how much litter is out there.

Last year volunteers helped to remove over 300 tonnes of litter nationwide, across an area equivalent to 2600 rugby fields.

As part of the week long event, around 50 staff from the Port of Tauranga are hosting a clean up event from their head office, on Friday.

The Port team will clean up around local beaches including Pilot Bay beach and the Mauao walking tracks, which are well frequented by the community and used by Port workers themselves.

"Clean Up Week encourages Kiwis to ‘Do the Right Thing' and work together to clean up their little part of New Zealand," says Keep New Zealand Beautiful CEO Heather Saunderson.

"All too often we see litter within our communities and pass it off as somebody else's problem. Clean Up Week provides a great opportunity for Kiwis to actively participate in looking after their local environment, creating a more sustainable, ecologically diverse and pollution-free future for all New Zealanders.

"We're thrilled to see large businesses such as the Port of Tauranga getting actively involved in Clean Up Week, helping to keep New Zealand beautiful."

Port of Tauranga chief executive Leonard Sampson says the company is strongly committed to protecting the environment in which it operates.

"Our team's focus is on air and water quality, including stopping any waste from port operations entering the harbour.

"This event is a great way for our team members to support the local community in looking after the neighbourhood of Pilot Bay, Mauao and Mount Maunganui, right on our doorstep."

Clean Up Week is supported in partnership with Waste Management, EnviroWaste and some councils, which allows volunteers to dispose of the rubbish they collect for free at selected transfer stations.

For more information on Clean Up Week or to create your own clean up event, visit www.knzb.org.nz