In the new trending #trashtag challenge, people all around the world are picking up trash and then sharing the uplifting before and after photos on social media.

What Are Viral Challenges?

We’ve all taken part in our share of viral challenges, and it’s hard to imagine social media without them! Several popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Reddit have popularized these trending challenges designed to call attention to important causes.

While some challenges are just for the fun (or dare) of it, other challenges can make a big difference to the world.

Challenges like the #IceBucketChallenge helped raise over $220 million dollars for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research. Another challenge - the #InsideOutChallenge - (inspired by the movie of the same name) helped promoted mental health awareness by encouraging people to paint their daily feelings on the outsides of their bodies!

And now, the #TrashTag challenge is encouraging people to do the work and share their experiences cleaning up public spaces!

While the tag was first started by an outdoor lighting company - UCO - in 2015, the tag has seen slow and steady growth over the years.

Image source: @wiecej_torun on Instagram

Most of the individuals, communities, and organizations using this hashtag do one of three things:

• Share photos of public spaces both before and after cleaning. Locations include public spaces like city sidewalks, roadside ditches, beaches, and riverbanks.
• Pictures of people cleaning up the public spaces equipped with trash bags, gloves, and other tools and equipment.
• Proudly share full to the brim garbage bags all in a row!

#Trashtag is an awesome initiative and we can all hope it sticks around and encourages more people to pitch in and clean up their public spaces.

So, How Can Your Community Take Advantage?

Choose a local public space and arrange community volunteers to help get together and clean up the garbage! You can provide the supplies and your residents can provide the volunteering power.

This activity works great as a “birthday” project for your community. Every year, on the day your community was first founded, organize a local clean-up event!

Cleaning up is more fun in a group, but if you don't want to all work together! You can also encourage residents to visit local areas to clean up on their own. It may take longer, but when they’re finished, have them use the #trashtag hashtag and also tag your community so you can know they took part!

Image source: @tybeecleanbeach via Instagram

While having a clean community should be its own reward, you can also offer some small prizes, awards, or recognition to residents for their efforts. Honor those who take the time to make your greater community a cleaner and more beautiful space for all!

***TIP*** Besides using #trashtag in your post captions, use other site-specific hashtags like #trashtags #savetheplanet #cleanriver #Cleanbeach #trashchallenge #trashtagmovement #challengeaccepted and #trashtagchallenge.

Now get out there and make your community a better place by picking up one piece of trash at a time!