Better Habits Build Better Places

As runners enter the build phase of marathon training for the Sydney Marathon, the focus shifts to consistency. This is where small, repeated efforts lay the foundation for race day success. Every early morning run, every extra kilometre and every training session contributes towards something bigger.

The same idea applies to protecting our environment.

Cleaner streets, parks and waterways are not created through one big moment, but by everyday behaviours and actions repeated over time. Choosing not to litter, picking up rubbish when you see it and reporting littering from vehicles all help build healthier environments for communities, wildlife and future generations.

The scale of litter in NSW is larger than many people realise. According to the Environment Protection Authority, for every piece of litter found on land, nine more are found in our waterways. What starts as a dropped coffee cup, food wrapper or plastic bottle can quickly travel through drains and creeks into rivers and the ocean.

Once there, litter can cause serious harm to wildlife such as turtles and seabirds, who can mistake it for food or become entangled in it. Over time, plastic litter breaks down into microplastics that stays in the environment for years and years.  There’s no quick fix for decades of accumulated rubbish, but we can begin to turn the tide.

Just like marathon preparation, building cleaner environments takes consistency, shared responsibility and a commitment to doing small things well.

Learn more about how you can make a difference through the Nature Hates a Tosser campaign from the NSW Government.