Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 103, February 2018 | Page 29
CLEANING
Up Our Act
News from the #runclean Campaign
Modern Athlete’s #runclean campaign calls on all runners to stop littering during races, because the mess left behind by
runners dropping water sachets or cups in the road has become one of the most prominent talking points in South African
running circles. Around SA, various people and organisations are contributing to this anti-litter campaign in running.
1. Two Oceans Recycles for School Desks
As part of the #GOGREEN Campaign in conjunction with
the Wildlands Trust and Old Mutual, the plastic waste
collected along the route of the 2017 Old Mutual Two
Oceans Marathon was converted into school desks, with
an initial batch of 45 desks being presented to the Ikhaya
le Themba school in Hout Bay, on the race route. It takes
60kg of waste to make a two-seater Green Desk, which
means that the manufacture of these 45 desks diverted
2700kg of waste from landfills!
2. Anti-litter Task Group Formed in Cape
A large group of runners, event organisers,
provincial officials, sponsors and suppliers
met at the Sport Science Institute of South
Africa in Cape Town to discuss single-use
plastic in road running and the resultant
litter and waste problems. After a productive
day of talking and brainstorming, four main
outcomes/goals were identified by the workshop: Improve education about plastic
use and litter in the sport, engage with governing bodies to update rules governing
littering, research and asses the impact of the sport on the environment, and explore
viable alternative hydration options to plastic sachets. Various task group leaders were
appointed to drive these four projects, and we will report back on this in due course.
3. Bottle for Medals Limits Litter in
Walks
Itheko Events has come up with a novel way to reduce litter
in its various walking events in the Cape. Entrants are given
a full water bottle at the start, with stickers on them that say
they need to hand in the empty at the finish to claim a medal.
This has proven incredibly effective in just about eradicati ng
litter along the route of these events, some of which have up
to 5000 entrants!
4. Green Award for Cape Town Marathon
The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon has won the 2017 AIMS
Green Award, in recognition of the event’s #RunGreen
campaign. The award, presented annually by the Association
of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS), judges
candidates on their promotion of environmentally-friendly
practices. The event provided “chuck zones” along the route
for the disposal of litter, and a “zero waste to landfill” policy
that aimed to recycle all waste, even providing an on-site
waste-sorting facility. Almost three tons of recyclable waste
was collected, while 1.4 tons of non-recyclable solids were
sent to the New Horizon Energy Plant for conversion into
renewable energy sources such as biomethane and gas.
Think before you throw – #runclean
Share your #runclean efforts or experiences at www.facebook.com/runclean or mail to [email protected].
Apply for FREE Bins for Your Event
As part of the Modern Athlete #runclean campaign, Garbie (East Rand Plastics) is providing fold-up cardboard bins and plastic bin liners to any running or walking
event held in South Africa that registers as a #runclean event. Thse bins and bags are provided and delivered at no charge.
To qualify for the free bins, events must put the #runclean and Garbie logos on their entry form and event/club website, and must promote the #runclean message on all
their platforms as well as at their event. Events therefore need to apply for bins well in advance, so that requests can be processed in time and the bins delivered. Once an
event is registered and approved, Garbie will arrange the delivery of the bins, liners and bags, while Modern Athlete will promote the event through our various platforms.
To register your running event as a #runclean race and receive free GARBIE bins, go to http://modernathlete.co.za/bf.php?fid=287 or sign up via the link on www.
facebook.com/runclean.
GARBIE Supports Runners…
So support the company that is helping us to #runclean
I
n conjunction with Modern Athlete’s #runclean campaign,
GARBIE from East Rand Plastics is providing free fold-up
cardboard bins and plastic bin liners to races that register
as a #runclean event and make an effort to do something
about the plastic litter problem in road running.
East Rand Plastics is one of Africa’s largest
manufacturers of refuse bags, from light duty household
to heavy duty garden and industrial bags, and all are
manufactured using recycled materials to promote the
protection of our delicate environment.
GARBIE is the household name for refuse bags and available at all
leading retail stores, so support the company that supports runners.
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