Be an Eco-Runner!
My very eco-conscious husband frequently comes home from his runs with a few recyclable plastic bottles or crushed aluminum cans in his hands. I have to admit that I sometimes tease him about being a garbage collector but, it turns out, he's not alone.
Samuel Huber, founder of Eco-Runner, is on a mission to promote eco-running. The central idea of eco-running is to pick up trash while you're out running on the roads, trails, or paths. As Huber likes to say, it's a great way for runners to combine their passion with a purpose.
If you want to try eco-running, all you need is a bag (preferably a biodegradable one such as BioBag) and the willingness to pick up trash you see along your normal running routes. Then collect any bottles, cans, or garbage you see along the way. If you do eco-running frequently enough, you may be able to -- like Huber -- maintain your running motion while bending down to pick up trash.
Learn more about eco-running at Huber's Eco-Runner website.
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Photo courtesy of Samuel Huber
I love it! I pick up recyclables too. I particularly look ro dit when I drive to my local trails. I fi recycle a can or a bottle I save enough energy to justify the gas used to get me to the trails. I feel great after the run and I feel as though I made the world a little better, aesthetically and environmentally.
I’ve been picking up trash during my runs for years. I thought I was the odd ball, so it is nice to read that others are doing it too.
I too have been picking up trash, and recyclables during my runs for years. I have a 35 gallon barrel in the garage for the aluminum cans. It takes me about a year to fill, and the last time I sold the cans I made $17.55. I then take this money, and lend it to entrepreneurs in the developing world. ” http://www.kiva.org ”
Kiva’s mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty. If running, cleaning up your community, and helping to alleviate poverty don’t make you feel good nothing will!
Eco-running is a great mix of two passions:
Running and saving the environment.
To take it one step further:
Brooks has a great new line of shoes that use a biodegradable mid-sole called BioMoGo.
BioMoGo decomposes 20x faster that normal mid-sole material, meaning that your running shoes won’t sit in a landfill for hundreds of years. In related news, Brooks is looking for cool ads encouraging people to go green with BioMoGo.
They are hosting the competition at http://zooppa.com/contests/brooks-running-shoes/brief
Check it out!