About
Trashtag is an international social media challenge that started trending in 2019. The challenge aimed to mobilize individuals on the negative impact of litter on the environment by taking a snapshot of the litter around them in recreational areas and then taking an after shot of them having cleaned up the litter and tagging it #trashtag.
Reddit users first decided to bring the challenge to Kuwait on April 25th, 2019 at their first cleanup in Sulaibikhat. After receiving so much support from the community, volunteers decided to do another cleanup the following weekend, only this time twice the amount of volunteers attended and #TrashtagKuwait started to trend. From then on #TrashtagKuwait became more than just a challenge or a hashtag, it grew rapidly into an environmental grassroots initiative run fully by our volunteers that have since launched several environmental awareness campaigns and projects to help better the environment and community by transitioning towards a more environmentally conscious and sustainable country.
The challenge
Since starting we’ve challenged our volunteers to not only counteract plastic pollution by attending our weekly clean ups but by also encouraging individual effort in collecting garbage littering the environment. Whether in parks, beaches, boardwalks, marinas, etc.
As part of our campaign we also educate on how to reduce plastic waste and avidly encourage individuals to share all the ways they refused plastic in their daily routines, whether it be plastic bags at the supermarket, plastic straws at restaurants or plastic water bottles at gyms.
Working together
As of April we have collaborated with a multitude of eco friendly groups, community service organizations, artistic platforms, local musicians and like minded corporations to help spread the message and raise awareness within different communities of Kuwait.
Little helpers
Our group of 100+ volunteers consist of many teachers and parents alike that believe in setting down the foundations for future generations to continue to guard and nurture the environment. We strongly prioritize teaching the youth. By focusing on their engagement and understanding via presentations, providing learning materials or interactive programs centered around the environment we ensure a brighter, cleaner future for Kuwait and all who call it home.
Locations rehabilitated
So far our team has tackled over a dozen locations across Kuwait and have since visited the locations multiple times in an effort to completely rid the area of obstructing trash. A
mong this list is Sulaibekhat Beach, Mangaf Beach, Mahboula Beach, Salmiya Beach, Shuwaikh Free Zone Beach, Sabah Hospital Area Beach, Abo Hassaniya Beach, Marina Beach, Belajat Beach, Khairan and Salmiya parks as well.