Picking up trash is not a sexy subject. Or is it? After you see this wave of influencers and social networks out there picking up trash you might change your mind.
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While “influencers” is a term we rarely use. It seems to be the easiest way to describe this global phenomenon of social media sharing. And, if people are using it to share something good, encourage and create positive change, then influence away.
Table of Contents
Why Picking Up Trash Is Important
It might seem like a straight forward statement, but there is much more to collecting trash then meets the eye. Once you start picking up trash it is both a blessing and a curse. Kind of like opening a can of Pringles. Once you pop, you can’t stop.
It actually helps to clean up an area
The obvious benefit of picking up trash is that there will be less trash in our environment.
While a plastic bottle or bag may seem relatively harmless, there’s a much more menacing side to the petroleum-based mould. Plastic doesn’t degrade (dissolve into nothing) like organic products do. It snaps into smaller and smaller pieces, but those pieces never “go away”.
More often than not, they end up in the ocean, get eaten by the smallest sea animals, and eventually make their way up the food chain back into humans, and the cycle continues.
When you can see the difference, it’s a real accomplishment
Like any kind of activity. The more you put in, the more you get out. In the case of picking up trash, this can be very literal.
Leaving a place cleaner than when you arrived is actually a very satisfying feeling. If you’re walking in nature or exploring, you’re already aware of the natural beauty. So why not try to help make it as good as it can be.
Humans have an inbuilt, green compass
We know when something doesn’t look right (in our environment). If we’re walking down a beautiful, secluded beach and see a bright, red bottle cap washing up the shoreline we can’t help but think “that’s out of place”.
But it depends on our lifestyle and our level of compliance if we’re willing to do anything about it. The scary part is that the more common it is to see trash where it shouldn’t be, the more our compass shifts. People are surprisingly adaptable. If waves of plastic on our shores become normal, and we admit that it’s the “new normal”, then we will accept this.
There’s an irreversible connection made between products and pollution
The most important part about picking up trash is the connection.
It’s comparable to eating a piece of meat and seeing where the meat came from. Many people are OK with buying a piece of steak, but couldn’t imagine doing what’s necessary to create that steak.
When you pull out a plastic bag that has wrapped around a plant, or fish or got stuck a turtles mouth, something clicks. You realize the real implications of that bag.
It’s not just a bag, it’s an environmental hazard.
– The Dharma Trails
This is the same for plastic bottles, lighters, packets of chips, etc. Once you see the real damage that these products can do first hand, you can’t un-see it.
It is a great lesson that more people around the world need to experience first hand. And, once you have that “pollution connection” you can’t help look at packaging the same. Do I really need that bag? Can I make my own mylk at home?
How Influencers Are Making A Difference
To some people, sharing photos of trash might seem like some kind of “publicity stunt”. We’ve heard “Picking up trash is just a way to get followers”.
Either way you look at it, who cares. There are a lot of “influencers” on social media platforms trying to make their mark on the world. That’s the world we live in now. And if someone is going to go out of their way to get seen, by doing something good and encouraging others to do good, where’s the negative in that?
For a lot of people, especially those mentioned on this list, recognition is a follow-on effect. Someone (or a couple of people) start doing something, other people see it and follow their journey. That’s the basis of social media platforms like Instagram.
When people are out there picking up trash on a beach, in a field, in a city or a desert and other people find it interesting they connect. The idea is that by seeing other people do it, it will create a chain reaction.
Influencers Picking Up Trash
Here is a list of some of the influencers out there who have dedicated a significant portion of their screen time (social media feeds) to picking up trash. The “list” is in no particular order.
The Dharma Trails
As advocates for reducing waste, we at the Dharma Trails (Vivien & Aaron) incorporate cleanups into our travel destination photos on Instagram. In 2019 we organized a month-long, countrywide beach clean up campaign in Grenada, with a local eco-resort True Blue Bay. The Green Up Grenada movement inspired locals and other companies to get involved to reduce plastic pollution on this Caribbean island.
The Dharma Trails website has a thorough collection of posts on ways to reduce waste & improve your carbon footprint at home and while traveling.
Instagram: @thedharmatrails
Website: thedharmatrails.com
Laura In Waterland
Laura is a Belgian, ocean enthusiast based in Bali. Her Instagram feed is a great mix of beautiful, blue, Bali ocean scenes, picking up trash and her famous cardboard signs like the “it’s not my garbage, but it’s my planet”. She comes up with some great anti-plastic slogans and quotes, to inspire people to rethink their plastic use.
She has a website with useful posts on zero waste products and how to use them in your daily life.
Instagram: @laureninwaterland
Wellness Travelled
This Canadian sister duo is passionate about eco travel and reducing plastic pollution. We have partnered together to create social media cleanup challenges around the world. They’ve got some great picking up trash photos for inspiration as well as an array of beautiful eco destinations to visit.
Instagram: @wellnesstravelled
Website: wellnesstravelled.com
Jackson Groves
Jackson Groves is a pretty wild looking dude on a mission to explore the world in the most adventurous way. Amidst the global travels, he began picking up trash. Using his social media platform for something inspirational he decided to start “The Adventure Bag Crew”.
This super effective trash pickup campaign has a simple goal: if you go on an adventure/outdoor exploration, take a bag with you and fill it up with trash. The hashtag #adventurebagcrew is now being used all over the world from adventure enthusiasts.
Instagram: @Jackson.groves
Website: Journeyera.com
Carly Bergman
Carly is a bubbly ball of eco energy. With her partner Brenden (@sustainable_duo) they are at the forefront of the new-age sustainable movement. While they focus on sustainable living, they have also started the movement ‘Futuristic February’ encouraging people to collect all their recyclable and non-perishable waste in the month of February, and take a photo of it at the end of the month. This gets a great visual of how much waste you collect in a month, and if you imagine multiplying it by 12, that’s how much waste you could throw out in a year!
Instagram: Carly_bergman
Zia Suarez
This surfing, skateboarding South African has a beautiful social media feed with inspiring images from around the world. She’s also got some great posts about picking up trash, including positive things to do with it, like making “Eco Bricks”.
Instagram: @zia_suarez
Manuel Bergmann
Manual is all about the anti trash movement.
Based in Bali, he’s got lots of photos of beach cleanups and plastic pollution found in the area. Scattered in his Instagram feed are cardboard signs with environmentally moving statements that are sure to inspire!
He’s also a member of the “Coaching for a Cause”. It’s a website designed to connect those looking for sustainable coaching with environmental NGO projects.
Instagram: @manuelbergmann
Darling Of The Orient
Making real changes on a daily basis in Bohol, Philippines. This Instagram feed is impactful, educational and inspiring. A great collection of photos highlighting the real plastic pollution problems of the area and what communities can do about it.
As the founder of @plasticfree_bohol, a movement having real environmental and political change in the Philippines, this Instagram account is one to watch!
Instagram: @darlingoftheorient
Eco Beach Babe
Kay Odonnell has an instragm feed dedicated to picking up trash, both on the beach and underwater (even in mangroves). There’s even a few snaps of up close Manatees.
With her signature trash bucket and a some creative underwater shots, this series of picking up trash is sure to get you inspired to do more!
Instagram: @ecobeachbabe
The Trash Traveler
How much fun can you have with a van and picking up trash wherever you go? Check out this series of picking up trash photos.
While there is a lot of awareness around beach cleanups, trash is everywhere. Andreas Noe finds trash in all kinds of places and then does something about it!
Instagram: @thetrashtraveler
Plastic Free Mermaid
Kate Nelson is a legend in the plastic free movement, boasting a whole decade without using single-use plastic. Her Instagram feed is full of amazing zero waste tips, products, and ideas to live a plastic-free life.
When not picking up trash on the beaches, she’s free diving through coral reefs and educating the world on ways to change for the better.
Instagram: @plasticfreemermaid
S_Marga
Margarita is one amazing environmental content creator. She shares responsible travel tips, animal conservation advice, and is passionate about reducing plastic pollution. Check out her stories on eco bricks, and how she is getting the community involved in reusing plastic trash.
Instagram: @S_marga
Eco Bikini Girl
“Be Glam and give a damn!” We love Eco Bikini Girl’s motto. This Instagram account is one by Kier Mellour (a fashion, beauty blogger).
Eco Bikini Girl’s social media feed is filled with photos of her (and some friends), in bikinis picking up trash by the bucket load. It has gained some great traction over the last year and is encouraging a new wave of bikini-wearing women to make picking up trash a thing.
Is trash talk sexy? Take a look for yourself.
Instagram: @ecobikinigirl
There’s so many more!
Yes, the list is short. You’ll quickly find that once you start looking into the realm of picking up trash there are lots of amazing accounts out there advocating positive change.
And that’s amazing. The more the better.
Join The Online Movement
With so much interest in picking up trash on social media over the last few years, there are whole platforms dedicated to trash sharing.
Here you will find more accounts from around the globe coming together to share their photos, experiences, and passion for cleaning our planet.
Social Media Platforms Dedicated to Picking Up Trash (that you can connect with)
Here are some of our favourite online/social media platforms for picking up trash inspiration and connections. You can use these platforms to:
- Share what you see (areas around the world particularly effected by plastic pollution)
- Share what you’ve done. Feeling proud of a significant beach clean? Good. It’s noteworthy! Let others know so that they can also get inspired.
- Connect with other likeminded people/anti trash enthusiasts. Social media (in theory) is not about fame or competition. It’s about connectivity. Through these online platforms, you can see what other people doing on the other side of the world. You can learn or even find people close by to pick up trash together.
4Ocean
4Ocean has become one of the biggest trash collecting movements of all time. Through the simple act of creating a bracelet (using upcycled ocean plastic), they’ve been able to fund large scale projects with equipment and whole teams of full-time staff.
It’s been incredible to watch the journey of 4Ocean develop so quickly over the past few years into a world leader in ocean and beach cleanups.
Instagram: @4ocean
Take 3 For The Sea
The simplest ideas are often the best. The concept behind this movement is: go to the beach, pick up three pieces of trash & dispose of them.
Three seems like a relatively manageable number for everyone to do. And if everyone, really everyone, picked up three pieces of trash every time they went to the beach this world would quickly start to look very different.
The best part about this movement is the way that anyone and everyone can be involved. It’s like a big social community for caring and sharing.
Instagram: @take3forthesea
Adventure Bag Crew
Mentioned previously, as the brain child of adventurer Jackson Groves, this online platform also has a great, simple approach.
Go on an adventure/outdoor exploration, take a bag, fill it with trash, dispose of it. There are eco travellers, and adventurers around the world sharing daily their “adventure bags”. It is a great online community and one that is welcoming to all that want to participate.
Instagram: @adventurebagcrew
5 Minute Beach Cleanup
As the name suggests, this platform highlights peoples efforts in picking up trash for 5 minutes.
Depending on which beach you’re at, 5 minutes might be enough to fill a whole bag or (if you’re lucky) you might not find anything.
The idea is to encourage beach cleanups by making it a “thing”. And it’s working. You can connect with this platform on Instagram and immediately see who else around the world is on the same wavelength as you.
Instagram: @5minutebeachcleanup
Picking up Trash Hashtags
Just like travel hashtags for Instagram and other social media platforms, there are a few key Trash Hashtags that you can use to connect with like-minded people.
- #adventurebagcrew
- #trashtag
- #trashtagchallenge
- #take3forthesea
- #5minutebeachcleanup
- #4ocean
- #plasticpollutes
- #beachcleanup
- #pasticfree
- #cleanoceans
- #trashart
- #plasticfreeoceans
- #turnthetideonplastic
Find more accounts, engage, share, inspire!
If you scroll through some of the accounts and photos that use the above-mentioned hashtags (search Instagram by hashtags), you’ll quickly discover a whole world (literally) of people who genuinely care.
We live in a pretty amazing time where someone on two beaches on two totally different sides of the world can be picking up trash at the same time, share a photo of it, see each other’s photos and accounts for the first time, then become digital friends.
Plastic Alternatives
Picking up plastic off the beach is a great way connect to the problem. But what about solutions?
There’s plenty. It starts, simply with “say no to plastic“. (click the link to find out ways to say no to plastic at home & while out and about).
There are more and more amazing plastic alternatives out there. Not only reusables, but biodegrade options from organic compounds like cactus and mushroom.
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We hope that you’ve found some inspiration in this post and continue to spread the word. Picking up trash is a “thing”. Let’s make it one that the whole world can get behind.
Is there someone we missed? Or if you have a friend or colleague that’s passionate about cleaning up plastic pollution, let us know in the comments!
