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Blog

Can you help me?

12/30/2019

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LitterHero founder Martin Thompson and Ambassador Miguel Lacerda near Guincho beach in Portugal
I have put a lot of my own time and resources into building a social platform to make it easy for anyone to get started as a local LitterHero because I believe we can all make a massive positive impact. But now I need your help !
Written by Martin Thompson
Founder & Full time LitterHero
LitterHero is all about helping engage local heroes who want to clean up the streets and neighbourhoods, but don't know where to start. I realised that there are millions of people who want to stop litter and plastic pollution at its source - on their street, in their neighbourhoods and in their city - before it reaches the sea, and gets sent right back to us.

Putting the LitterHero platform together has taken a lot of time and resources in terms of webdesign, social media and real world event organisation and networking. While I have had a lot of help from a lot of great people, LitterHero is still in it's early stages and a lot of the people who helped me get this project started have moved on to new projects.

So I'm reaching out to you to ask for your help to take LitterHero to the next stage! As a micro organisation we rely on passionate volunteers to manage or complete small tasks and little projects that help us grow our outreach and build a network of local Litter prevention and clean up action groups, all over the world.

Currently we need volunteers for the following task and mini projects:
​
  1. Promoter of Local Groups - Help create local LitterHero Groups, either from scratch, or from existing groups that would like to connect with the growing LitterHero network. This includes taking photos & videos of local events and actions, and sharing them on social media, to encourage others to join us!
  2. ​Events Coordinator - I'm no good at organizing things, there is no point in even pretending. But we do have plenty of experience in what it takes to create a memorable event, I just need someone who is happy to put a date to things and help schedule people & places.
  3. Blog Writer - If you are looking for a place to publish your waste prevention & elimination knowledge, I would love to add you as a blog author. We need fresh and relevant articles that inspire people to take direct action to end waste.
  4. Researcher - One of our main objectives is to promote education to prevent waste and litter creation in the first place. We are always looking for simple and useful information that people will actually use, regarding zero waste living, circular economy projects and plastic waste reduction. If you like finding things online, please help us out!
  5. Facebook Editor - If you are a Social Media King or Queen, I could really use your help to share, re-post and help promote the work and information being shared on our other LitterHero Local groups, onto our main Facebook pages.
  6. Email assistant - As a father of 2 small children and active partner in 2 businesses, I'm having trouble answering Litterhero emails in time. I can create an @litterhero.org email and with the help of some scripted guidelines and FAQs texts, volunteers help reply and redirect some of the emails we receive.

If you are passionate about helping clean up the planet, have a few minutes a week to spare and can work from home or directly from a mobile device, I would love to hear from you! 
Submit
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The importance of Sharing

12/7/2019

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Picture
Countless non profit organizations are working to stop plastic pollution, spending great time and effort to recreate things that have already been done by other similar groups. Find out why.
The other day, one of our LitterHero local group leaders said he was going to present at his daughter's school, and asked me if we had any support material for primary school workshops. Although we currently don't have any material for the age range he was looking for, I said that a local zero waste partner group would certainly have some helpful slides or documents he could use - especially since the group is run by primary school teachers!

I was surprised and saddened when I was told that although they did in fact have a presentation for primary school kids, they couldn't share it with our organisation, as it was proprietary material...

Consider this for a moment: A non profit group established to help prevent litter and plastic pollution - and one rooted in primary school education, no less - was telling us that its educational resources could not be shared with another non profit group that shares the same objective.

If we look at powerful industry groups and lobbies, like those associated with petrochemical and plastics, we find strong unity of purpose and a consistent message that is spread far and wide. Such industries don't need to fear the growing number of highly fragmented zero waste and anti plastic pollution organisations. As long as organisations like ours are divided, industry will conquer!
"Consider this for a moment: A non profit group established to help prevent litter and plastic pollution was telling us that its educational resources could not be shared with another non profit group that shares a common objective."
I recently attended an excellent conference hosted by the Oceano Azul Foundation, and collected 3 buzzwords that kept repeating during the event: "Collaboration - Community - Sharing". Every organization that was present at the conference mentioned that they found collaboration in some for or other was essential, yet it is not what we frequently see in practice.

It makes all the sense to charge any profit making entity for presentations, workshops or other time consuming activities that can help such businesses improve their corporate behaviour or image. But we are almost all NON-profit groups in this sector, so it only makes sense to actively benchmark existing best practices, share documents and support material and help each other spread the zero waste mindset, without asking for anything in return. 

Many of the individuals who initiate non profit and social or environmental action organizations are very driven and motivated to create bold brands that bear their personal mark. One of the driving factors is a strong ego. We need this ego to keep us going during the toughest moments, in what seems to be an endless and sometimes futile struggle against the odds and the titans of industry. But we cannot let our egos become bigger than our common cause: ending waste and stopping plastic pollution.
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How to be a Litter Hero

11/6/2019

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Litterhero concept schematic diagram
The global litter problem is massive and can seem overwhelming - but tackling it is not nearly as difficult as it seems. We have broken down the litter problem into simple items that anyone can act on, locally.

Prevention

The single easiest way to tackle the litter problem is to produce less waste in the first place. The number one source of litter is waste packaging. There are a number of ways to reduce the waste you generate but the simplest one of all is to consume less.

​The next best thing is to choose products that have minimal packaging of a recyclable or biodegradable nature. Which ever method of litter prevention suits you best, it will work even better of you can bring friends and family on board!

Spread the word and share your reasons for preventing litter, you will be making a change and spreading change by changing mindsets and paradigms. Below are two ways to move forward.

Education

The action of publicly cleaning up litter, in public places is an act of advocacy and education, which speaks louder than words. It highlights an issue that becomes as accepted as it is prevalent and damaging.

​By picking litter in public you make the statement that "Litter is not normal and it's not OK".

Legislation

In terms of making a change, more important even than cleaning up is raising awareness, challenging the acceptance of kerb side litter and pressuring local authorities to legislate or enforce existing legislation.

​Don't do it alone, join an existing group or create your own - many voices are louder than one.

Elimination

While the easiest, simplest and most powerful, way to reduce waste and litter is to prevent it in the first place, there is so much litter already in our environment that we need to take direct action to clean it up!

You don't need to organise or take part in massive actions - although they are great for raising awareness. Even the smallest actions add up to a massive positive change, not just from the litter you remove, but because other people get inspired by your actions.

Plan

As you commute in your daily life, you pretty soon start to see which places are most affected with littering. ​Make a note of such places so you can target them first, and plan how best to tackle those areas - alone or with friends, with gloves or a litter picker, or should you call the local municipality to help?

Act

The very simplest way to get started is just the next time you walk anywhere and spot a piece of litter on the ground, in a bush or on a bench - grab it and bin it! ​Remember to keep it safe and clean! We have listed a few simple and inexpensive tools we use to make it easier to clean up litter anywhere.

Tools

From time to time, as I walk about town I spot a discarded box or wrapper and just pick it up and drop it in the nearest bin, but it's safer, more hygienic and highly recommended to use the right tools to make the job, quick fun and much easier.

Here are our suggested Litter Hero clean up tools, with affiliate links, so if you click to buy any of the suggested tools, LitterHero may earn a small commission!
litter picker tool in the forest

Litter Picker

Save your back, keep your hands clean and have some fun! With a good quality litter picking tool, you can pick up trash from hard to reach shrubs or ponds and lakes.

We recommend this picker from Amazon XXX

Gloves

When the going gets heavy and the litter picker just can't handle lifting the weight, I sometimes grab a pair of sturdy leather gloves and really get stuck in. 

We recommend this picker from Amazon XXX
heavy duty litter picking gloves
litter in a plastic bag

Bags

These are always handy of you have dogs or kids and I carry a roll in the back of the car, and yes, a roll in the office in case I decide to get so air and pick up some trash as I walk!

Pick your favourite size of bag from your local shop or bag drawer!
Aren't plastic bags part of the litter problem?? Yes they are, but my pragmatic choice has been to remove litter that is in the environment and place it into the municipal waste stream instead.​
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Zero Waste Resources

11/5/2019

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 Zero Waste Resources
A global movement that is gaining traction is the idea of reducing your personal waste and consumption to near zero, which is a near perfect way to be a Litter Hero. Here are a few great ideas to get started!
​

Wikipedia says that Zero Waste is a philosophy that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused. The goal is for no trash to be sent to landfills or incinerators. The process recommended is one similar to the way that resources are reused in nature.

The definition adopted by the Zero Waste International Alliance goes a bit further and states that Zero Waste is a goal that is ethical, economical, efficient and visionary, to guide people in changing their lifestyles and practices to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use.

Zero Waste means designing and managing products and processes to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them. Implementing Zero Waste is not easy in western societies but it is possible. Here are some great places to look for inspiration and ideas.

Goingzerowaste.com
A site and blog by Zero Waste advocate Kathryn with many great tips and additional resources for anyone curious about embarking on a zero waste lifestyle.

Litterless.com
Simple and easy to read blog about everyday sustainability, simple living, and zero waste. A good source for understanding the philosophy of zero waste.
​
Zerowastehome.com
An excellent source of straightforward ideas for each room of your house, to start living waste free.

Parentgiving.com
An unlikely source of information on the classic 3 R's - Reduce, Reuse & Recycle, but this page contains a host of interesting and useful links to additional waste resources!
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Why focus on Litter?

11/5/2019

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Why in the world focus on Litter?
​With so many urgent environmental issues at hand, why should we be so concerned about litter? Because it's the manageable tip of an environmental iceberg and here's how you and I can deal with it today.
Broken Window Theory
​

In its simplest form, this theory states that the moment some defacement is visible in an area, more will rapidly follow. What does this have to do with litter? Everything. In my own neighbourhood, which was always neat and clean, there was a particularly windy July, and following the summer fair that year, a lot of wrappers and discarded packaging got blown out of the traditional clean up radius and down our street. My requests for a clean up to the municipal waste management company went unanswered and the problem grew to the point where fly tipping now occurs weekly and it finally spurred me in to action and to founding Litterhero.org. In essence, once a place has been tainted, the problem tends to get worse until the cycle is broken. The full Broken Window Theory and its ramifications, particularly in the field of criminology are fascinating and worth reading about further.
" once a place has been tainted, the problem tends to get worse until the cycle is broken
Broken Window Theory
​Small actions with a BIG impact
Is picking up a piece of litter at a time even worth the effort? Research says it absolutely is. If your own actions can reset a situation like the one mentioned above, by fixing the broken window, then you have leveraged your litter picking actions exponentially. If you have done nothing more that spread the idea that we all have a stake in keeping our environment in good shape, as other people looked on bemused, then perhaps you will have taken the next massive step to conquering hearts and minds.

Hearts & Minds
Part of the act of picking litter in public aims to make a social statement, or in fact a number of statements: 
  1. We have a waste problem
  2. It's not normal and it's not ok
  3. You and I are responsible
  4. You and I can fix this
  5. We will all benefit if we do!

The solitary act of picking litter from time to time will have a small positive effect compared to the massive effect that comes from conquering hearts and minds and starting to shift the mindset that has allowed litter and waste to become culturally acceptable.

Paradigm Shift
The ultimate goal of the #LitterHero movement is the really focus on ending Waste in all forms of human misuse of resources. By pausing to collect and consider the quantity and nature of the litter that surrounds us in modern societies, we can stop and realise that it is the materialisation of massively wasteful practices, and that we have the technological means to live near waste free lives today and no extra cost.

The final realisation is that we are not mere consumers, at the mercy of whatever products are pushed our way, or victims of greedy corporations and the careless ways of other people. Instead, consider that you and me can choose to be either part of the problem, or a hero helping solve the problem.
Be a LitterHero!
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Why be a Litter Hero?

11/5/2019

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Why be a Litter Hero?
​Is it even worth getting started on local litter clean up activities when globally, mounting trash is such a massive problem? Yes it is, and here's why:
​At times we are bombarded with so many negative statistics, articles, videos and comments relating to the state of the plante, that it all seems just too overwhelming. It happens to me often, but then I think "every single piece of litter on the street, in the forest and in the ocean was put there by someone not entirely unlike me. The same way it got there, it can be retrieved - piece by piece."

Start Small
Is there a lot of work to be done? Certainly. Is it worth the time and effort? Unquestionably. This is our planet, our home, our street and our own back yard. It's easy to post angry and frustrated comments on social media, but ultimately it's up to you and me to take action to make things better.

Think Big
The great news is that if even a few people start taking direct action such as joining local clean up initiatives, talking to and pressuring municipalities and telling their friends and family that every one of us can have an immediate and direct impact, then we can effect change on a Global scale. It all starts with me & you!

Good Citizenship
Wikipedia defines this as when one properly fulfills his or her role as a citizen. There are many opinions as to what constitutes a good citizen. Theodore Roosevelt said, "The first requisite of a good citizen ... is that he shall be able and willing to pull his weight." A great way to do that is to get involved with your local community.

Beyond Litter
Why focus on litter when there are so many even more pressing environmental concerns? It's a great question. One of the reasons I have chose to focus on litter is that I feel it's something so very easy to control, without even changing our lifestyle, just our habits, and if we are persuasive, the habits of our friends and family too. But it goes beyond the local manifestations of piled up kerb side trash; if we no longer accept such sights, we start to grow more aware of our surroundings and our impact on our environment, natural and man-made. Then we can start to shift our current paradigm and all live with more quality and abundance.
Take Action Today!
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Picking Up Habits

11/5/2019

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Picking Up Habits
It is better to start young, but it is never too late to pick up the litter clean up habit. Here are some thoughts on how!
Written by Merran Van Der Tak
Retired marketing queen, lifelong smoker and full time #LitterHero.
​​After she retired in her late-60s, my mother-in-law started jogging every morning.  There was a small woodland park behind her house with a trail along the stream. Her route took her through the park then up into “embassy row”, the part of Washington DC where many embassies and ambassadors' residences were clustered.

Shocked by the amount of litter she saw everywhere on her first jog, she took a large bag with her the next day and picked up litter as she went along – not only in the woodland but also on the streets and pedestrian areas around the embassies.  The bag filled up quickly. She carried it with her until she found an appropriate place to dispose of the litter. Her daily “jog” became a stop-start clean-up exercise.

Until she was in her mid-80s and no longer mobile, she jogged every morning and always took a bag for collecting litter.  Her jogging became slower as she aged – and the bag felt heavier as each year passed – but she persisted. It was pleasant when we visited, to be able to stroll in the pristine woodland.  Needless to say, we helped to keep it clean.

My husband and I continued the habit when we retired to Portugal and began to walk (or, in his case, to jog) in the hills of Sintra.  A bag or two for litter always went along in the back-pack. We picked up as much as we could carry as we followed the trails through the forest.

The hills here are much much bigger than the little park behind my mother-in-law's house, and our efforts here are just a drop in the bucket.  But if each person carried his or her own litter home instead of dropping it, each of them would hardly notice the extra quantity or weight in their pockets.  Instead, with my scrawny 45kg, I end up lugging a bag for kilometres until we reach a disposal bin.

And the trails through the hills are still full of litter.  Perhaps we do not go out walking often enough. But where are all the other litter-collecting walkers?

Obviously, we cannot pick up all the building rubbish and discarded appliances which people drive into a wilderness area to dump waste.  The logic of dumping waste in such a way defeats my logic. Why drive so far on rough trails – perhaps in the dark – when there are places and systems for disposing of it properly, accessible on nice paved roads?  Yes, there is a charge for disposing of some items but it must be less than the cost of fuel and wear-and-tear from driving into the wilderness.

In many countries, school groups and scouts are organised (with protective gloves, proper instruction and supervision, etc.) to go out collecting litter in scenic areas.  It probably beats sitting in a class-room but they are still learning something – they are often shocked by the horrible things which they find. Hopefully, it will make them think twice before they drop their litter in the future.

It might be too late to educate some of the older folks about proper disposal of litter.  But, if youngsters can be taught (and enlisted to help to clean up), the next generations might be able to jog through their retirement on pristine trails without stop-start weight training at the same time.
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Is Good Citizenship good for you?

11/5/2019

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Is Good Citizenship good for you?
If you believe in a globalized world that what goes around comes around, then good citizenship is a no-brainer. Here's a list of 10 things you can do right now to be a better citizen!

A web search for Good Citizenship comes up with about 5,580,000 results. My definition is simple and I try to use it to guide my decisions and day to day life. It's one of the very reasons I decided to pursue the #LitterHero ideal and put this website together!  I don't always succeed, but it's a kind of way point that I can always refer back to.

Essentially, the idea is an ancient one: do to other what you would have done to yourself; in this case, I like a tidy back yard, a clean street, a pure environment enjoy and clean oceans for myself, my family and friends. To achieve these lofty goals all you or I have to do is consider other people as we go about our own lives. 

You don't have to believe in karma to realise that what you do will have an impact on other people. If your impact is positive you will build good things around yourself but if your impact is negative, you will destroy and harm yourself and others. You can have your cake and eat it too, so long as you don't leave the box on the side of the road.

So here's a list of 10 things you can do right now to be a better citizen, starting from the 4th grade up.
​
  1. Volunteer to be active in your community.
  2. Be honest and trustworthy.
  3. Follow rules and laws.
  4. Respect the rights of others.
  5. Be informed about the world around you.
  6. Respect the property of others.
  7. Be compassionate.
  8. Take responsibility for your actions.
  9. Be a good neighbor.
  10. Protect the environment.
​
Source Ms. Sanches Class
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4 Ways to Keep Your Mattress from Creating Waste

11/5/2019

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4 Ways to Keep Your Mattress from Creating Waste
Mattresses take up a good amount of space in your home, and unfortunately, in the landfill. However, when it’s time for a new one, these large home products don’t need to become unsightly waste - Find out how!
Written by Sarah Johnson
Zero Waste Advocate working for Tuck, a community devoted to improving sleep hygiene, health and wellness through the creation and dissemination of comprehensive, unbiased, free web-based resources.
You have options that will keep your mattress out of the landfill. With a two-fold approach to reduce waste and buy environmentally-friendly mattresses, you can make a difference.

1. Donate the Old
Many national and local charity or thrift organizations accept mattress donations. Be sure your mattress is stain, tear, and odor free. If you live in an area with bed bugs, mattress donations may not be accepted. To save yourself the hassle of loading and hauling your mattress, call ahead to make sure it will be accepted. Do NOT leave your old mattress behind a charity store after hours. You may be leaving them with the problem of disposal and most likely it will end up in the landfill.

2. Look Up Recycling Facilities
The parts and components of many different types of mattresses can be recycled. For example:
  • Steel Springs: Innerspring mattresses can contain as much as 20 pounds of recyclable steel.
  • Foam: Foam can be shredded to make bike helmets and car seats.
  • Natural Fibers: Cotton and wool mattress covers can be shredded and used to make new textiles.
The trick is finding a facility to do the recycling because breaking down a mattress takes time and space. Call your local recycling facility or get online to find the closest mattress recycling location. Many require a recycling fee of anywhere between $20-$40 and may include pick up for another small fee.

3. Think Outside the Box
Mattresses are full of components, from braiding and buttons to nails and screws that can be used for other projects. Innersprings can be used to make wreaths or transformed into a picture holding room divider. Memory foam can be used to make a dog bed or chair cushions. Wood slats come in handy for all kinds of home projects. If you’re up to dismantling the mattress yourself, with a little creativity, you can probably use most of the components around your home.

4. Choose an Environmentally-Friendly Mattress
​
The truth is that there’s no mattress that’s 100 percent green, organic, or environmentally friendly, but there are some that come close. All-natural latex mattresses are derived from the sap of the rubber tree. After the sap goes through a series of manufacturing processes, it makes a mattress that’s both durable and comfortable. These mattresses are biodegradable, leaving behind a white residue.
Ways to Keep Your Mattress from Creating Waste
However, latex mattresses can be expensive. If you need something more affordable, look for mattresses made with organic components through environmentally-friendly practices. Organic cotton and/or wool covers, plant-based foams, and fire socks instead of chemical flame retardants produce less waste and make disposal easier.

To help you find an environmentally-friendly mattress, look for certifications from independent organizations that monitor environmental impact like:
  • Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS): Certifies latex products that are 95 percent organically produced.
  • Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS): Certifies that raw materials, as well as derivative products, are made of at least 70 percent organic materials.
  • Cradle to Cradle: This certification is only given after evaluating carbon emissions, water conservation, and ecological impact of the latex and materials used to make mattress covers.
There are many other certifications, just take the time to look them up so you know what they mean and how your mattress affects the environment.

A mattress doesn’t have to become waste. With a few phone calls and research, you can dispose of the old and find a new one that will cut down on your environmental footprint.
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No Butts

11/5/2019

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No Butts
Cigarette filters are not as bad as nuclear waste, but they take seven years to bio-degrade. In the words of a lifelong smoker, here's how you can make a bad habit into a habit that's not so bad for the planet!
Written by Merran Van Der Tak
​
Retired marketing queen, lifelong smoker and full time #LitterHero
If you are a lifetime smoker, as I am, quitting can be difficult.

But it should not be difficult to see that cigarette ends are litter. Just look around the entrances to buildings (where people cannot smoke inside), or in parking areas – even in scenic places – where people have decided that their car ash-tray is full. Take a look at your own ash-tray or around the places where you usually smoke.

Cigarette filters are not as bad as nuclear waste, but they take around seven years to bio-degrade. Some of our cigarette ends might stay around longer than we older smokers do. There are cases where fish have choked to death on them - at least that stops them from getting hooked, I suppose.

Smokers already suffer social stigma. Cigarette ends everywhere just make it worse – another reason for non-smokers to think that we are low-life.

I am a heavy smoker. It is more than 40 years since I dropped a cigarette end anywhere except in a proper receptacle. If I am far from receptacles, I dispose carefully of any burning ash and residual shreds of tobacco, then the filter goes into the plastic around the lower part of the cigarette packet or even into my “butt pocket”.

​No, they do not make my clothes smell, although that might depend on the brand and how carefully I remove the shreds of tobacco. For longer outings, I carry a portable ash-tray with lid – there are lots of options available, even a little plastic bag would do. These days, there are even start up companies producing pocket ashtray, I rather like these from Portuguese non profit Biataki.

If dog-walkers are required to collect their dogs' waste, why not cigarette smokers?

Cigarette ends are litter – don't drop them. Please! Instead, why not help pick them up, take a photo and share it today with the hashtag

#NoButts
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