Trash Free Trails Australia is based in Manly on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. We respectfully acknowledge the Gayamagal people as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which our community exists, a place they know as Car-rang-gel (North Head, Manly) and the surrounding region. We recognise their deep and continuing spiritual connection to the land, waters, and sea of the Northern Beaches. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
As soon as you hear or see the words Trash Free Trails – whether in conversation, at an event or on a trail sign – it is a neural nudge that immediately sparks a greater appreciation for natural places and subconscious motivation to actively reduce single use pollution. It also sends a clear message to trail users: do not drop rubbish… and if you do see rubbish simply pick it up and dispose of it responsibly (even if it’s not yours).
By removing trash (or not dropping it in the first place!), you help to protect and restore ecosystems by reducing potential threats to flora and fauna. You’re no longer just a trail “user”, but a trail “custodian”, leaving a positive trace.
And it’s infectious! Your actions encourage others to do the same and collectively we can shift behaviour, culture and policy.
There is widespread understanding that the time you spend in wild places (and the experiences you share) out in nature have significant emotional, physical and social benefits.
There is growing evidence that when you actively engage in protecting nature through the simple act of removing or reducing rubbish the positive impact on your wellbeing is amplified, helping to reduce the trash in your head!
Knowledge is power! Whether you fill one of our quick surveys, take part in an education program or become a Citizen Scientist, not only are you helping us to understand what trash is out on our trails, you give us the robust data we need to know what kind of trash it is and how it got there.
This monitoring informs policy, guides action and enables us to prevent this kind of single use pollution getting into our wild places again.
Trash Free Trails - it’s all in the name really! Easy-to-understand and easy to action, it brings people together with the goal of keeping our trails clean (no matter what trails they are, how they’re used or how they got there).
The simple framework, accessible activations, self-managed assessments and inclusive approach lead to broader and more diverse participation. Through Trash Free Trails more people can feel like they are part of something bigger and play an active role in caring for our natural places and respecting others who love the wilderness we all share.
Beyond the broader community we help to provide a united voice and create a sense of shared responsibility for the fragmented, smaller “long trail” communities and niche trail user groups (such as informal MTB clubs, trail running groups, dog walkers, bikepackers and many more) when it comes to addressing shared issues and challenges for trail-based ‘unstructured recreational sports’, for example access issues, the challenges of multi-use sharing, sanctioned vs unsanctioned trail usage and more.
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Did you know that the words "Trash Free Trails" create a powerful neural nudge!
People consciously or subconsciously register that the trails they are on should be free of trash and they're less inclined to discard litter and more inclined to stop and pick up stuff that shouldn't be there rather than simply riding, running or walking straight past it.
Please take necessary precautions, looking out for hazards that may include leeches, spiders, snakes, dogs, golf balls, broken glass, asbestos and other good stuff!
If you see single-use pollution that needs moving, but you don't want to be the one to move it, contact your local council!
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Of if you want to get involved, have a question, seen some serious trash on a trail or want to talk about Trash Free Trails, just let us know:
Trash Free Trails Australia is based in Manly on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. We respectfully acknowledge the Gayamagal people as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which our community exists, a place they know as Car-rang-gel (North Head, Manly) and the surrounding region. We recognise their deep and continuing spiritual connection to the land, waters, and sea of the Northern Beaches. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.