Sadly, it’s becoming all too common to see gel wrappers, used drink bottles and other single use plastics out and about on our runs. Fortunately, it’s easier than you think to do our bit to keep our trails free from this rubbish. Hilary McAllister explains how a popular movement that started in 2009 to help clean the ocean of garbage, is now being used out of the water too. It’s called Take 3 For The Trails and is a simple way that runners can help keep our dirt enjoyable for everyone.
“The standard you walk past is the standard you accept.”
This quote, or a version of it, is probably familiar to you. These 10 words are applicable to many things in our life, from workplace culture to self-discipline, relationships and how we show up within community.
But this concept is also relevant to us as trail users, and what we do and don’t run past while out exploring natural spaces.
There is no denying that our everyday lives rely on plastic. It’s frustratingly unavoidable. And the single-use nature of it means that it too often finds its way into our waterways, onto our trails and into the oceans.
Whilst the problem seems gargantuan, it’s easy to forget that we can all play a part in solving it. This change begins at our shopping cart and continues into our homes. But despite our best individual efforts, there will still be chip packets, beer bottles and cigarette butts littering our green and brown spaces.
So as the people who spend the most time in these places, is it up to us to pitch in and solve the problem?
If we refer back to Lieutenant-General David Morrison’s quote, ‘The standard you walk past is the standard you accept,’ the answer is yes.
What tidying up our trails looks like
One of my favourite examples of this is the IG account @peterpicksuptrash. All I know about Peter is that he lives in the US state of Oregon and picks up trash. His feed is a stream of repetitive photos showing handfuls of plastic straws, smoothie containers, bags and styrofoam. And the caption ‘Instead of walking past this trash that was on the ground, I picked it up and threw it away. This was very easy to do.’
Peter isn’t wrong, and one thing Peter doesn’t seem to suffer from is fear of judgment.
COVID was my peak-plogging era. Running along the Birrarung/Yarra River in Melbourne, trying to entertain myself amongst the monotony, I would on occasion pick up every bit of trash I saw until I couldn’t hold any more. And then I would run, fists full, until I could deposit it into the next rubbish bin along the trail.
The looks I got from people made me question my actions. People’s stares made me feel like a pariah, the strange person in this scenario. But hang on. I was the person picking up rubbish that wasn’t mine; doing a good deed. How was I being made to feel like the oddball? Being negatively judged for caring about our world?
Plogging proud to clean up our trails
I quickly realised that despite the stares, they were the ones accepting a standard I chose not to accept. So rather than avoid their side-eye glances, I met their stare and offered them an inviting smile. I was proud to be caring for our environment and contributing positively during a difficult time. Through this small action, I was trying to make our shared part of the world a slightly better place. I ran with my fists full of rubbish, swinging proudly, hoping that other people would notice and think that they pitch in too.
Take 3 for the trails
This concept has been popularised through the Take 3 For The Sea movement, which started in NSW in 2009. The idea is beautiful in its simplicity – when you visit the beach, pick up three bits of rubbish. It’s approachable, it’s doable, and collectively, three pieces of rubbish will become millions.
Action doesn’t need to be complicated or comprehensive. Simply doing something, albeit small, can make an incredible impact at scale, and over time.
Every bit helps
My invitation to you today is to Take 3 For The Trail, and show off your fistfuls of straws, chip packets and gel-tops proudly, and join Peter from Oregon and me in doing this very easy thing, proudly. Consider those three pieces of rubbish your tax, or contribution, for enjoying these public lands we love to explore, and inspire others to question the standard they are willing to accept.
INSIDER KNOWLEDGE: Hilary McAllister is an experienced yet accident-prone outdoors woman, often unmotivated ultra runner, serial nomad, political wannabe and environmental advocate. She combines her passion for exploration and environmental activism through her work at For Wild Places, a charity she co-founded that combines trail running and sports activism.
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