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mountain bikers, Runners, bush walkers & Other Trail users

Protect the wild places that we all love through the simple act of removing and reducing single-use pollution from our trails.

Trash Free Trails Australia is a purpose-driven social enterprise and a community hub for Trash Free Trails UK.

What we do

Trash Free Trails is a simple self-managed framework that enables any individual, event, organisation or community to become trail custodians through the simple act of removing and reducing single-use pollution from our trails and the wild places that they take us.

Outcomes we help you achieve

Healthier Trails

Protect and restore trail ecosystems by removing and reducing single-use pollution while contributing to research that informs action to safeguard wild places.

Happier Trail Users

Boost wellbeing by (re)connecting with nature, with others and with yourself! Gain a greater appreciation for outdoor adventures and a sense of shared purpose.

More Connected Communities

Care for your trails and for each other through inclusive action and partnerships that shift culture, shape policy and facilitate accessibility for all.

"Why I love My Trails" Quick Survey

We're working hard on a couple of initiatives, including creating Australia's first 'State Of Our Trails' report! This is an exercise in establishing where we're at in terms of our trails and to what degree they are trash free. This allows us to understand not only where help and guidance is needed most, but also which communities seem to be getting it right and from whom others can learn.

Start the My Trails quick survey now

our 'Trash Free' philosophy is at the heart of everything that we do

Tread and Shred Lightly:

Leave no trace, remove rubbish (eg food wrappers and drink containers), report what you can’t safely move.

Respect:

Honour the traditions and cultural heritage of the Traditional Custodians of this land. Co-operate with land owners and managers.

Act Appropriately:

Stay safe, protect flora and fauna and do not damage the trails.

Share the Trails:

Look out for other trail users, communicate, give way and smile.

Help out:

Do whatever you can - record findings, report hazards, offer aid, do maintenance, show your thanks, spread the word

Flow:

Have fun and enjoy being in nature

Recharge:

Use this precious time in nature to refresh or reset your body and mind

Explore:

Discover new places and experiences, meet new people

Engage:

‍Share the philosophy with others, educate and inspire action

Get Involved

Pick it up, pack it out

The easiest thing you can do! Make sure that if you do take any single-use pollution on your adventures – like lollie wrappers, gel packets, drink containers – that it always comes back with you. And if you do find trash on the trails, then pick it up and bring it out.

Always act appropriately, stay safe, do not endanger others or cause potential damage to flora or fauna.

Organise a Clean-Up

Unfortunately you may find there is more trash than you can take out yourself in your pocket or small bag. You may feel like you need to bring in ore people for a community clean-up.

We usually recommend that you register your trail clean-up under an existing activity, such as your local MTB club's trail maintenance day or through an organisation like Clean Up Australia. These organisations have the framework and insurances required to keep you and other volunteers safe while you perform the valuable work of cleaning your trails.

Contact us for our latest guidelines or to learn more

Always act appropriately, stay safe, do not endanger others or cause potential damage to flora or fauna.

Make your event a Trash Free Trails Approved event!

Whether you are the race director of an international trail race or just organising a local community social ride, following our internationally-recognised, self-managed guidelines can help you to show your participants that you are serious about minimising the impact on the environment without which your events cannot take place! While educating people about the importance of reducing and removing single-use pollution from wild places you may be surprised at the additional value and engagement it can bring, even to a small event.

Contact us to learn more

Trash Free Trails Approved Events

Red Bull Hardline Tasmania

Maydena Bike Park, Tasmania

This gold standard Trash Free Trails Approved event is also an elite, invite-only downhill mountain bike race held at Maydena Bike Park, renowned as one of the world's most challenging events for its combination of technical rock gardens, massive 75-foot gaps and high-speed vertical drops!

Sea Otter Australia

Mogo Trails & Batemans Bay, NSW

Australia's largest ever multi-day cycling festival featuring a huge expo, industry summit, and various racing and riding events... all 'Trash Free Trails Approved'.

Trash for the 'Tache

Old Man's Valley, Hornsby, NSW

A 60kms singletrack social ride on unforgiving techy trails to raise money and awareness for Movember and highlight the 60 men who lose their lives to suicide every 60 minutes around the world.

Garigal Gorillas Fiver Rides

Northern Beaches, Sydney, NSW

Ride. Support. Socialise! Join the Garigal Gorillas for a fortnightly Wednesday summer evening series dedicated to exploring the Northern Beaches' best trails while raising funds for local track maintenance.

Alpha Trail Run

Manly Dam, Sydney, NSW

One of the first TFT Approved trail runs outside of the UK featuring, other things, innovative clip-on/clip-off trail markers, starting the 'event in a bag' concept.

Important note about personal safety when picking up and removing single-use pollution!

**Trash Free Trails Australia is a social group and picking up and removing single-use pollution is entirely at your own risk.**

Please take necessary precautions, looking out for hazards that may include leeches, spiders, snakes, dogs, golf balls, broken glass, asbestos and other good stuff!

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Don't feel comfortable picking something up?

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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When using the trails:

Always ride, run or walk responsibly and within your skill level.
Always follow local trail guidelines, respect other trail users, and be aware of changing conditions.
Wearing appropriate safety gear, such as helmets when mountain-biking, is essential for your protection.

At first glance this dumped vacuum cleaner on Possum Trail in Sydney's north looked like a snake, and the inverse applies... a snake could look like a vacuum cleaner!

Australian Collaborations

Strategic Partners in the UK

Trash Free Trails Crew

Just some of the people making Trash Free Trails Australia possible

Mark Lloyd

Alpha Trail Events

Dan Smith

SNORC & MTB23

Ravi Rudner

Vipers Running Club

Tom Hutton

Koaktive

Keep in the loop, join the trash pack or just Contact us!

Leave your email address and we'll send you 'Trash Talk' - our updates about Trash Free Trails Down Under.

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:

Thank you

Look out for an email from Trash Free Trails Australia soon.

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Current collaborations in Australia

Strategic Partners in the UK

Trash Free Trails Australia is based on the Upper North Shore and Northern Beaches of Sydney. We respectfully acknowledge the people of the Eora Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which our community exists. We recognise their deep and continuing spiritual connection to the land, waters, and sea. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

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