unesco Building peace in the minds of men and women

Take a Trash Hack pledge

Want to Trash Hack your life but not sure where to start? UNESCO have launched an Instagram filter that can choose for you!

Take a Trash Hack pledge

Want to Trash Hack your life but not sure where to start? UNESCO have launched an Instagram filter that can choose for you!  

How to find and use it: 

  1. Log onto Instagram 
  2. Head to UNESCO’s page @UNESCO 
  3. Click the button 
  4. Use your selfie cam to focus the filter on your face 
  5. Hold down the button to record a video and let the filter choose a Trash Hack for you 
  6. Share with your friends

The Trash Hack Pledges:  

  • I pledge to organise a cleanup  

World Cleanup Day is on 19 September every year, but you can organize a cleanup anytime by yourself or with friends if you’re able and it’s safe to do so. Check out our steps to get involved:   

  • I pledge to compost food waste  

Help to reduce the amount of food needlessly going to landfill by composting it instead! The waste can also be donated to local gardens and farms. Don’t have a compost bin? Find out how to compost no matter where you live here.  

  • I pledge to mind my digital waste  

The internet and its supporting systems account for about 4% of green house has emissions, and its energy consumption is increasing by about 9% a year. This CO2 is created by physical servers in data centres around the world which the internet relies on. These are connected with miles of undersea cables, switches, and routers that need energy to run. Much of that energy comes from coal, natural gas, and petroleum that emit CO2 as they burn fossil fuels.  

Check out our partner World Cleanup Day’s Guide to Cleanup your Digital Waste  

  • I pledge to learn where my trash goes  

Where does our trash go after you put it in the bin? Make it your mission to track your trash from when you throw it out. You can choose one type of waste (like compost or recycling)or you can try and track it all. Use the internet to look at your local council, community or region.  If they don’t have the information online, try to call or contact another way. Trash has a whole life before you and after, share what you find out with #TrashHack. 

  • I pledge to pick up a piece a day  

Starting small can be the best way to make big changes in your life. Make a pledge to pick up on piece of rubbish a day for a week or a month. Notice that you start to see trash more, and what type it is. What does this tell you about your area? Notice how picking up just one piece makes you feel? Do you feel different? Share your daily pick-up with your friends or family and with #TrashHack!  

  • I pledge to repair not replace  

Next time something breaks, gets a hole in it or isn’t working quite as wanted, challenge yourself to repair it before you chuck it out and replace it. The internet is full of advice on how to DIY with furniture, tech and clothes. Learn how to mend or fix, it can be fun! Share what you’ve learnt on social with #TrashHack.  

  • I pledge to buy second hand  

‘Fast fashion’ are clothes that have been designed to be disposable – poorly and quickly made from materials that won’t last, in trends that will be over within the season. It’s estimated that the fast fashion industry emits 1.2 billion tons of CO2 a year, and is responsible for producing 20% of wastewater.  The fashion industry produced 92 million tons of waste in 2015 alone and in many countries the time we keep our clothes decreased dramatically.   

So ask yourself – do you really need that new piece of clothing? And if you do – can you buy it second hand? Try challenging yourself to not buying new for a month. Share how you’re going on social with #TrashHack!  

  • I pledge to upcycle something  

Upcycling is when you give something that would have been trash a second life. Upcycling can be creative and fun and is a great way to start Trash Hacking. It saves you money, and saves an object from turning into waste.   

 There are hundreds of ideas of where to start online, to start try here, here or here. 

  • I pledge to reuse my  waterbottle  

The world uses a million plastic bottles a minute, with more than 8 million tons of plastic are dumped in our oceans every year.  

Society needs to curb our addiction to bottled water to reduce the carbon footprint and save our oceans. What can you do? Buy a reusable waterbottle and pledge not to buy plastic for a month. Encourage your friends and family to do the same.   

  • I pledge to audit my trash  

Tackling your home’s waste starts with understanding what you’re throwing out. Conducting a waste audit may seem like a messy way to clean up, but it’s the best place to start changing your habits. Start by learning about different types of waste, then find out how much of each you’re producing. You can count of weigh your results, and track your progress over time. Find some great tips on how to conduct a waste audit here . 

  • I pledge to bring my own bag  

Remember to take a reusable bag or trolly when you do your grocery shopping. 160,000 plastic bags are used globally every second and only 3% are recycled.  

  • I pledge  to BYO my containers  

You can cut your packaging waste, minimize transport pollution and usually save money by buying in larger quantities! Search for your local bulk food store or find a local market and BYO bags or jars.   

Does the Hack you received not work for your world? If it’s something that doesn’t apply to you or you’re already doing, have another go! If you are in confinement due to COVID-19, maybe try our 10 Hacks for the Home instead.   

If you don’t have Instagram, you can choose one or challenge a friend.   

Don’t forget to use your pledge to learn more about waste! Trash Hacking the world might start with action, but we all can learn more about where our trash comes from, where it goes and what we need to do to tackle waste at the source.    

Once you’ve made your pledge, make sure you record your reflections of how it feels to act against waste, what you’re learning and discovering. You can do this on social media using #TrashHack, record in your diary or phone, or just chat to your friends and family.