Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 110, September 2018 | Page 11

ADVERTORIAL
Think Before You
Bite and Spit!
Spit
You reach the water station in your race, thirsty and looking for a mouthful of cold water to refresh yourself, and that
sachet feels so cool in your hand. Bringing it up to your mouth, you carefully hold the sachet firmly while trying not to
squeeze too tight, and then you bite the corner off. Quickly spitting the little plastic corner out, you take a long, cold drink,
and feeling refreshed, you toss the now empty sachet in the Garbie dustbin and on you race. You’ve done your bit to
#runclean.
STOP!
Ever wondered what happens to all those little plastic corners of sachets
that thousands of runners spit out on to the road during races all over
South Africa? Well, for one thing, they seldom get picked up by the
clean-up crew once all the runners have passed by, because they’re just
too small. Most of the time the clean-up
crew doesn’t even see them.
looks like a tasty little jellyfish treat. But instead of nourishment, all the
turtle gets is a stomach full of plastic that it can’t process or expel, which
clogs its system, and eventually the animal dies a very slow, painful
death. Fish are also ingesting this plastic. The same fish we have on our
post-race celebration sushi platter! So it is impacting on our health, too.
BUT ANIMALS SEE THEM...
Most of those little corners get blown in
to the bushes or grass beside the road,
where birds and mammals all too often
swallow them after mistaking them for
something small to eat. In coastal areas
particularly, these corners very quickly end
up in stormwater drains or rivers and thus
flow out to sea with the next rainstorm,
where they too are mistaken for food. To
a turtle, that small bit of plastic actually
–
So next time you race, don’t just
throw your empty sachet in the
dustbin, make sure that even
the smallest plastic bits don’t
end up in the environment.
Because taking an extra second
or two to dispose of your waste
responsibly could save a turtle,
an ostrich, a dolphin or an
albatross from a painful death
someday. Sounds dramatic, we
know, but sadly, it is happening
with so much of the single-use
plastic we use and discard every
day, not just our sachets.
Modern Athlete’s #runclean Campaign is part of a growing effort to stop runners
littering during races, as this contributes to still more plastic waste ending up in our
ecosystem. Think before you throw – #runclean!
FREE Bins for Registered Races
for bins 60 days before race day to allow for processing of applications
and despatch of sponsored bins and liners.
A
s part of the Modern Athlete #runclean campaign, Garbie (East Rand Plastics)
is providing FREE fold-up cardboard bins and plastic bin liners to any running or
walking event held in South Africa that registers as a #runclean event.
To qualify, events must put the #runclean and Garbie logos on their entry form and
website, and must promote the #runclean message pre-race and at their event. Once
an event is registered and approved, Garbie will arrange the free delivery of the bins,
liners and bags, while Modern Athlete will promote the event as a #runclean event.
To register an event, go to http://modern-athlete.co.za/bf.php?fid=287 or sign
up via the link on www.facebook.com/runclean. Please note that races must apply
As part of the #runclean commitment, we also encourage event
organisers to retain and store their used cardboard bins for the next
event, and to ensure that all their race waste is managed by a reputable
recycling company.
Garbie is the household name for refuse bags and available at
all leading retail stores, so please support the company that
supports runners and is helping us to #runclean!
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