10-Minute Clean-Up: Small Gesture, Big Environmental Impact
River Cleanup challenge
Each year, over 8 million tonnes of waste end up in our seas and oceans, 80% of which is carried there by rivers. The COVID-19 crisis has pushed plastic pollution to unprecedented levels. Just think of the plastic from masks, gloves, bottles and food packaging left behind after a corona walk. The Belgian organization River Cleanup wants to make people aware of this litter problem and is now launching the #rivercleanupchallenge, challenging everyone to take a heroic picture of the litter that you can pick up in your neighbourhood in 10 minutes...
The campaign will start on 22 March, World Water Day and end on Earth Day on 22 April, it couldn’t be more symbolic. The instructions are to simply roll up your sleeves in a park, by a river or in your street and for 10 minutes collectlitter at a time that suits you. During a walk, as an activity with the kids, or during a jogging session. With this campaign, River Cleanup wants to show that a small gesture can have a big impact on the environment. Little effort, great result!
The goal of the campaign is to activate at least 1,000 people, which would result in 10,000 minutes of litter picking in just 30 days. To reach as many people as possible, they would like to ask you to also support this campaign.
‘The simple act of picking up a piece of litter that didn't belong to me opened my eyes!’
Thomas de Groote, founder of River Cleanup, started a 10-minute clean-up himself in 2017 and has since activated more than 100,000 people in 45 countries: ‘Like most of us, I was far too busy to actively care about the environment. When I was challenged in 2017 to pick up litter for 10 minutes, something happened. That simple act of picking up a piece of litter that didn't belong to me opened my eyes. I started seeing it everywhere... and became aware of how we are treating our planet. I began to think about my own behaviour and to consume more consciously. That small action encouraged me, and in the meantime more than 100,000 others, to take action!’
River Cleanup now challenges each of us to start for 10 minutes, and see what happens.
How does it work in practice?
- Spend 10 minutes picking up litter in your neighbourhood between 22/3 and 22/4. At a place and time most convenient to you.
- Take a heroic picture at the collected waste and share it on social media with #rivercleanupchallenge and tag @rivercleanup
- Spread the positive vibes. Challenge at least 3 other people to do the same
https://www.river-cleanup.org/nl/river-cleanup-challenge
Thomas de Groote