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:
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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! 

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!

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!
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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.
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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!

​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.

​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.

​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.

​​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.

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.
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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.

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Source Ms. Sanches Class

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.

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