#TrashTag — Inspiring People to Clean Their World

A new social-media movement is inspiring people to clean up sites around the world littered with plastic and other waste.

The #TrashTag Challenge was initiated in 2015 by UCO Gear, an American company selling outdoor equipment, as part of a program to protect wildnerness.

But the challenge went viral just last month, when Facebook user Byron Román posted a request for " bored teens" to "take a photo of an area that needs some cleaning or maintenance, then take a photo after you have done something about it, and post it.”

Coupled with Román's own before and after pictures of a site he cleaned, the post has been shared over 300,000 times. According to the BBC, tens of thousands of people around the world, from Japan to Guatemela to Vietnam, have taken up the challenge. They've removed debris from beaches, parks, roadsides and more — and have posted proudly about it.

“When teens get bored, that’s like the worst thing you can ever have," Román told Time magazine. “So, I thought, maybe someone will pick up the challenge and do something positive about it.” They have, and not only teeners. The challenge has spread to all generations, including the elderly.

Of course, all parties are hoping that these forays into activism will translate into increased environmental awareness and a general tendency to consume less, especially single-use plastics.

So what are you waiting for? Call your friends, grab your clean-up equipment, lose your boredom — and join #TrashTag.

—By Stefania Capanelli