Through our global outreach, we sponsor trash clean-ups around the world in remote or hard-to-reach places.
Most recent: Mount Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania, Africa.
Mission: To clean up remote areas in the park may require specialized skills at the high elevations of the mountain.
The higher in elevation places on Mount Kilimanjaro are often the most littered as people become tired and less aware as they ascend. By contracting with local guides who are used to the elevation, we were able to clean up trash along high elevation sites. As the guides pick up trash, they have reported others are inspired to be more mindful of their own litter and have even picked up trash alongside the guides. They have also cleaned up in an area inhabited by monkeys, who often can consume the plastic trash. The most common trash picked up include juice boxes and plastic wrap for to-go meals on the trail.
Kilimanjaro, January 10-12, 2025
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Clean-up at Lava Tower, 15,100 ft elevation. Collection of garbage from campsites and picnic sites.
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Cleaning up garbage lodged into between rocks.
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The second and third days of this clean up trip, they collected a lot of toiler paper, foil, broken water drums, and water bottles.
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Clean-up at Machame Camp.
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Everyday, the collected garbage is weighed by the park rangers.
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Kilimanjaro
September 12-14, 2024
On this pickup, we started at the Machame Route. It is currently the busy season, so the guide reported a high accumulation of trash due to the high volume of people. On this trip, for the first time, a ranger requested a specific pickup area. This was a great sign—both that the local authority is aware of our impact, and they are willing to work with us to accomplish our goals. The ranger also provided a vehicle to take the clean-up crew to the area of Lava Tower, where they were able to clean up a large volume of garbage.
Kilimanjaro Clean up, September 12-14, 2024 on the Machame Route, from Shira Cave to Lava Tower
Kilimanjaro
July 13-15, 2024
Our local Pickup Artists began this pickup at the Lemosho Gate, and spent the next two days climbing to and cleaning at higher elevations at Shira I and II gates. At the end of each day, they weighed the trash and categorized it according to type.
Shira II gate sits at high elevation (12,620 ft), which makes trash pick up difficult for an average person. By involving the local guides, we are able to effectively clean up an area generally inaccessible.
Kilimanjaro Clean-up via Lemosho Route, July 2024 (12,600 ft)
Kilimanjaro Clean-up via Horombo Hut, May 2024 (12,200 ft)
