When we think about pollution, we usually picture plastic-filled oceans, overflowing landfills, or smoggy skies. But there is another form of pollution growing quietly in the background of our everyday lives: digital pollution.

Every email stored, every forgotten file kept “just in case,” and every unused system running behind the scenes relies on physical infrastructure servers, data centres, and energy-hungry networks. The digital world may feel weightless, but its environmental footprint is very real. As our reliance on technology grows, so does the responsibility to use it more thoughtfully.

Digital Cleanup Day 2025 continued the global effort to tackle digital waste with a strong showing from individuals and organisations alike. Thanks to the combined efforts of all those who participated, an incredible 2.3 million gigabytes of unnecessary data were deleted, saving 575 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.

This year, more than 541.8K participants took part across 61 countries and territories. While 2025 saw a dip in participant registrations compared to previous years, the scope of participation and the volume of data cleared shows that the message of digital sustainability continues to resonate worldwide.

Digital Cleanup Day, a global initiative led by Let’s Do It World, marked its fifth anniversary this year, with participants from across the globe uniting to reduce digital pollution. This important milestone reflects growing awareness of our digital carbon footprint—and the collective action being taken to address it.

Launched in 2020, Digital Cleanup Day was created by Let’s Do It World to tackle a largely invisible but increasingly urgent environmental issue: the carbon emissions linked to storing unnecessary digital data. What began as a call to action has since grown into a powerful global movement, inspiring individuals, businesses, and organisations to rethink their digital habits.

Most people don’t think about digital waste. It’s invisible—no overflowing landfills, no oceans choked with debris. But behind every unread email, forgotten backup, and unused app lies an energy cost that contributes to global carbon emissions. In fact, if the internet were a country, it would be one of the world’s largest polluters.

Jaka Kranjc, our Let’s Do It World leader from Slovenia and the driving force behind this year’s Digital Cleanup Day (DCD) campaign, has dedicated years to tackling this unseen crisis. In this conversation, he explains why digital waste matters, what we can do about it, and why he believes we need to rethink the way we use technology.

In the summer of 2024, the LDIW network came together to co-create a strategic vision for the next six years. One of the key focus areas identified was Digital Sustainability—a critical topic that affects both our online and physical environments.

Recognising the importance of this issue, a dedicated working group was formed at the end of last year, led by Jaka Kranjc from the Ekologi brez meja / Let’s Do It Slovenia. The aim of the working group is to raise awareness about how technology adversely impacts our environment and promote digital sufficiency, offering practical steps to reduce digital waste.

Join individuals and organisations worldwide on Saturday 15 March for Digital Cleanup Day, a global initiative dedicated to decluttering our digital lives and reducing the environmental impact of digital waste. Organised by Let’s Do It World, this annual event urges everyone to take proactive steps in managing their digital footprint.

In 2024, people from 98 countries and territories took part, with 315,097 individual cleanups registered. Together, participants deleted over 1.8 million GB of data—helping prevent the release of 457,283 kilograms of CO₂ into the atmosphere!