How to leave only footprints on our local beaches? Join Responsible Runners Bondi.

In November 2020, Responsible Runners Bondi came back with a new monthly event to keep the local beaches free of littering and educate people about the health and environmental risks of single-use waste and plastic. Two local volunteers at Transition Bondi, Mylene and Kerry, took over from a previous Leader, Mei Li.

The group was originally created almost a decade ago, by a local Bondi jogger who decided to pick up rubbish as he jogged in Bondi Beach. He was quickly joined by other friends and locals and started the movement Responsible Runners in Bondi and then in other suburbs like Balmoral, Manly or Central Coast.

The group vision is to have fun, get some exercise, and raise awareness about the health and environmental risks of single-use waste and plastic. To do so, monthly run+cleanup events will be held in different locations in the Eastern Suburbs (Rose Bay, Bondi, Bronte, Clovelly). It is usually a 5km run, including 3 bootcamp exercise stops, which ends up with a 30 min beach or park cleanup. But of course, you don’t have to run to join the Group and you can come for the cleanup part only! At the end of the cleanup, the collected waste is sorted into general waste, recyclable, and toxic waste (cigarette butts), and data is recorded and shared with the Council and the Australian Marine Debris Database. When possible, a partnership with local cafes is done to get some energy after doing this good action (Funky Pies in Bondi is one of them)!

So far, two events have been held, one in Bondi and one in Bronte with already 26 people who joined and who removed 953 cigarette butts, 181 metal bottle caps, 32 plastic lids, 29 straws, one mobile phone, 5 electronic cigarette recharges, and other soft plastic on Bondi and Bronte beaches and parks.

If you want to join this amazing activity, you can check out our event page and also the facebook group. The next dates are 17/01/2021 and 27/03/2021, so take your spots! If you have any questions, want to help out to organize more events, or would like to partner with Responsible Runners Bondi, you can email them at [email protected].

And keep this in mind: – Run, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Refuse –