by Carla Caruso

A university study is looking into the types of people who pick up litter while exercising – and your input’s needed.

The online Litter Walker survey is being led by Dr Stephanie Schoeppe at Central Queensland University.

It’s investigating the characteristics of adults and families who regularly pick up litter outdoors – whether they’re walking, running, hiking, or playing with the kids at the time.

If you do any of the above, the researchers would love to hear more about it by having you complete their survey. It’s anonymous and takes about 15 minutes to do. You can start it here. The survey’s open until the end of the year. 

The findings will inform the development of community programs, encouraging people to pick up litter when exercising outdoors to prevent plastic pollution.

One keen ‘litter walker’ is Val Hughes. The 65-year-old filled a bag with litter during APA’s guided walk through Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka (Park 14) on December 5. 

Among her haul were surgical face masks, paper, and cigarette butts – plus “a pair of man’s underpants, a sheet of Valium with a couple of tablets in it, and a very unusual pile of metal screws”.

Val says the practice reminds her of being at primary school in the ‘60s. “We used to have an ‘emu march’. All the kids would line up across the schoolyard and we would just slowly walk and pick up rubbish. The yard would be cleaned in no time.”

Removing debris is nothing new for the former palliative care nurse. She always carries a litter-picking tool or gardening gloves and a shopping bag when out walking. Sometimes she’s accompanied by friends on her journeys, other times she’s listening to audiobooks.

“I live at Largs Bay, so I’m a short walk to the beach,” Val says. “Even on the verge out the front, I’m always picking up rubbish. I just know of the impact of microplastics on our environment, and so, I can’t help but pick it up.”

As well as her daily walks – including at Anstey Hill Recreation Park in Tea Tree Gully – Val goes on monthly all-day hikes, and regular hiking holidays. 

The hobby has taken her to parts of the Aussie Camino pilgrimage route, extending from Victoria’s Portland to Penola; the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail; the Flinders Ranges; and the Lavender Federation Trail, spanning Murray Bridge to Clare. 

“I love hiking – that whole premise of hiking all day and leaving nothing behind except your footprints,” Val enthuses. “It makes people more aware of not leaving rubbish around, the impact on their environment, not shifting things, and not disturbing animals.”

Val adds: “The more people that pick up rubbish, or the less people that drop rubbish, the better off we’ll be. But even if people don’t, everything that an individual does makes a difference. That whole thing of going through your rubbish – what actually has to go into landfill is a very small amount.”