Clean Up Australia Day is the nation's largest community-based environmental event.

When Australian yachtsman Ian Kiernan was participating in a solo circumnavigation of the world in 1986 he was shocked by the amount of plastic pollution he encountered in the ocean.

That experience motivated him to return to Australia and address the mounting issue of plastic pollution. The first clean up event was held in Sydney Harbour in 1989 and 40,000 Sydneysiders joined that first event.

In the 33 years since, more than 20 million volunteers have helped make Australia a cleaner place on Clean Up Australia Day every year.

Clean Up Australia Chair Pip Kiernan told ACM her father's legacy continued to empower individuals to contribute to making Australia a cleaner place.

"He mobilized the nation to take practical action," she said.

"It's a very empowering activity, because we can sometimes feel like we can't make a difference, but we can.

"And it's really rewarding to just get out in your local community and do something practical, that unites communities."

Clean Up Australia's 2022 National Rubbish Report found that plastics accounted for 63 per cent of the rubbish items removed from parks, schools, bushland, creeks, beaches and roadways, suggesting a whopping 17 per cent increase from 2021.

Ms Kiernan said more Australians than ever before had volunteered for this year's clean up.

"We've had a massive boost in registrations this year. It's amazing," she said.

"I think what we're seeing is we've come out of the pandemic. So it's the first time there haven't been restrictions on numbers that can gather in a public place for Clean Up Australia Day. And we've had a tough few years when it comes to the environment.

"We've had bushfires, floods, cyclones. So this is a practical way that we can do something constructive for the environment."

24 year old Merri-bek resident Phoebe McKenzie participated in a clean up event along the banks of the Maribyrnong river, which was flooded late last year.

"After the floods last October, a lot of plastic waste was caught in the reeds along the banks. It was really sad seeing the riverbanks work like rubbish traps, but it felt good to get in there and help," she said.

"There was so much rubbish around picnic tables and playgrounds - the spots closest to bins. I think if everyone just kept on top of their waste as they created it, our parks would be better off."

Soft plastics represented 25 per cent of the rubbish collected in last year's program.

According to research by the Minderoo Foundation, Australians generate more single-use plastic waste per capita than any other country in the world - about 60 kilograms a year.

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Australia's major soft plastic recycle scheme, REDcycle, was suspended in November after it came to light that the company had been stockpiling collected soft plastics for an unknown period because of an insufficient processing capacity.

"We really encourage people to think about avoiding not just soft plastics, but any single use items that you can.

"Where you can avoid it, do. If it's at the supermarket, not buying the pre wrapped fruits and vegetables, buying in bulk, and really trying to minimize that level of packaging, is fantastic wherever you can," Ms Kiernan said.

Clean Up Australia day will be held this Sunday March 5 and registrations are still open. It is free to register and participate in a local event.