Pulse Up, Waste Down

By Amy Molloy on December 4, 2013 in News

If you’ve ever passed Bondi Beach on a Sunday afternoon you may have noticed a group of runners criss-crossing the sand with an unusual exercise accessory: garbage bags. Meet the ‘Responsible Runners’ – a movement of runners, joggers and walkers who meet at 6pm every Sunday for a 30-minute litter pick-up on Bondi beach and 13 other beaches across Australia.

The founder, Bondi resident Justin Bonsey, started the initiative as a tribute to his brother Will, who committed suicide last year. Will was an avid surfer but suffered from an autoimmune disease that eventually made it impossible for him to enjoy the ocean and beach. After his death, Justin was driven to do something in his memory.

Since it launched 12 months ago, Responsible Runners has picked up over 200,000 pieces of litter from Bondi alone, including 80,000 cigarette butts and tens of thousands of bottles, cans, straws, bottle caps, and plastic bags.

Justin also runs the offshoot ‘Responsible Cafes’, which recruits local eateries to offer a discount of between fifty cents and one dollar to people who bring in their own reusable takeaway cups rather than using disposables.

Recently, Justin was approached by roots musician Jack Johnson with regard to working together when he tours Sydney in December.

As a result, Responsible Runners will be hosting a big beach clean up on December 8 in Bondi, which Jack is going to help promote. While Johnson himself won’t be able to attend, Responsible Runners will be giving away tickets to his gig in a raffle at the clean up.

To find out more about Responsible Runners, visit www.facebook.com/ResponsibleRunners or www.responsiblerunners.org.