Protecting the places that matter to us

Running is one of the best ways to connect with the natural world around us. Whether you’re running one of the many harbourside trails and taking in Sydney’s stunning waterfronts or weaving through a local park or nature reserve surrounded by gum trees, it offers a chance to reset, clear your head and improve your physical and mental wellbeing.

And with that connection comes responsibility. The environments we run through don’t look after themselves. It is on all of us to help protect them.

Litter is persistent in our environment, and it is more of a problem than many of us think. According to the NSW EPA, for every piece of litter found on land, nine more are found in our waterways. What starts as a dropped coffee cup or gel wrapper can quickly make its way through drains and creeks, eventually ending up in rivers and the ocean.

The impact can be significant. Litter harms wildlife including turtles and seabirds, who can mistake it for food or become entangled. Over time, it also breaks apart into microplastics, persisting in the environment and entering the food chain.

That is why small actions matter. Put your rubbish in the bin. If you see rubbish on your run, pick it up when you can. If you witness littering from a vehicle, report it through the EPA Report a Tosser platform. It is a simple way to help hold people accountable.

Together, we can help keep our running routes and waterways clean.

Find out more at the Nature Hates a Tosser website, a NSW Government campaign that highlights how small amounts of rubbish can have a big impact on wildlife and waterways.