Volunteer cleaning crews armed with bright green bags have cleaned loads of rubbish from Tauranga Harbour's shoreline.
Organiser Kiri Danielle said the event was the third of a series being run around the country by her initiative Clean New Zealand - part of a wider effort called Clean the Earth.
"It's been coming for five or six years. My aim is to take trash from the communities around the globe and use it to help inspire people to love Mother Nature and reconnect with her, and to love themselves and each other."
A group called Kiwi Daddies also came on board to help with the clean up.
Ms Danielle said anything gathered from the clean-up that could be recycled would be, and anything that could not be recycled would be disposed of thoughtfully.