In 2011, more than 565,510 volunteers across 7400 sites removed an estimated 16,464 tonnes of rubbish across Australia.

Clean Up Australia's chairman and founder, Ian Kiernan AO, is confident that 2012 will be even bigger.

"We're urging all Australians to take notice of clean-up hotspots in your local area and let us know where they are whether you can help out on the day or not," Mr Kiernan said.

"Your local park, waterways, beaches, roadsides or back alleys are key areas, and we are asking you to join the team by letting us know where these areas are."

He said everyone can do their bit for Australia, individually or as part of a team.

Clean Up Australia Day is a simple way you can clean up, fix up and conserve our greatest resource Australia.

"Think of the places that are important to you your local park, sporting fields, beaches, walking tracks, neighbourhood streets and bike ways and pull together your own team to join Team Clean Up," Mr Kiernan said.

In 2012, hundreds of thousands of volunteers will take to the streets with white and yellow bags and don their gloves to clean up their local community.

Over the past 21 years, an estimated 237,500t of rubbish have been removed from our environment on Clean Up Australia Day.

But with every Australian still producing approximately 2t of garbage a year, we still have a long way to go.

Registrations for Clean Up sites are now open to join Team Clean Up in 2012.