How to Play the Trash Olympics

The Trash Olympics
Three Levels. One Movement. Near Zero Cost.
Join a global grassroots movement to make environmental action a recognized sport. Are you ready to disrupt the old ways?
Sign the Petition
Contact 
Three Levels of Involvement
Three main ways to participate:
Level 1: Sign & Share the Petition
One-click action—takes just a few seconds. Each signer represents one more person solving the global trash issue. Don't let the good information stop with you. Share it forward. By signing, you earn 1 Heaven on Earth Point (H.O.E.P.)—a symbol of your commitment to making Earth heavenly again. Look at the petition photos to discover where 'Heaven' is featured—that's the origin of this beautiful concept. Heaven on Earth goes beyond any single religion. The truth is simple: our planet is heavenly, we've damaged it, and together we must restore it.
Level 2: Do a Cleanup
Alone or with others, planned or spontaneous. Everyone is a trash-athlete, and each cleanup is an Olympic Training session. Using simple tech, we reveal a level of human connection that wasn't apparent before, leaving room for hope and motivating cleanup participants to keep going. Pick a spot (your block, a trailhead, a school entrance, a bus stop). Do a quick pickup (even 10 minutes counts). Post a photo/video using the hashtags. This shared tag is the synchronization helping people feel less alone, while keeping the momentum visible.
Level 3: Play the Game & Organize
"Let's Make the Trash Olympics Rules"—a class/group conversation with no wrong answers. Create unique memories with great inspirational value. Perfect for teachers, youth groups, and community organizers. Divide into groups representing countries. Answer questions like: How do people get on their national teams? How many players? Are teams mixed? Is there a technique? Who wins? What's the equipment? Should teams travel by airplane? When should cleanups happen? Is trash separated? What else would you add? Players are creating a unique memory with great inspirational value. Teachers can download e-diplomas for youth (coming soon). Everything is essay material for college applications.
The Daily Trash Mob & Hashtags
Global Synchronization of Cleanups
What is a Daily Trash Mob?
Like flash mobs where people synchronize to dance or sing, a Daily Trash Mob is global synchronization of cleanups. People don't need to be in the same place or time—they just need to do a cleanup on the same calendar date and post with the hashtag of that day.
The Formula:
#TrashMobYYYYMonDD
(4 digit year, 3 letters month, 2 digit day)
Examples: #TrashMob2026Jan01 or #TrashMob2026Jun06
Always Use Both Hashtags:
#TrashOlympics (the main movement)
#TrashMobYYYYMonDD (the daily synchronization)
Why This Matters:
Imagine 10,000 people in 10,000 different places doing cleanups on November 15th. They might feel alone and defeated. But when they post with #TrashMob2026Nov15, they discover 10,000 others did the same thing that day! This invisible connection strengthens the movement and keeps people motivated.
The Power of Measurement:
Up to now, we couldn't estimate the power of the cleanup movement. Therefore, people lost hope and interest. But if we start to measure it, the morale will increase proportionally with the numbers. The power of the Trash Olympics is not every four years. It is daily, through all the cleanups taking place in the world—measured by the daily hashtags!
🌱 The Challenge We're Launching
Let's bring these hashtags to life and make them popular! Spread the word! At first, numbers will be low—just like a tall tree starts from one seed. But together, we're building a global movement that makes cleanups visible, connected, and unstoppable.
Sign the Petition
One Click. One Voice. One Movement.
The easiest way to join the Trash Olympics is to sign and share the petition. It takes just a few seconds, and each signature represents one more person committed to solving the global trash issue.
Why sign?
Your voice matters. Each signer amplifies the message that we need the Trash Olympics.
Share it forward. Don't let the good information stop with you.
Earn a Heaven on Earth Point (H.O.E.P.). By signing, you've just won 1 H.O.E.P.—a symbol of your commitment to making Earth heavenly again. Check the petition photos to see where the word 'Heaven' appears—that's where this concept comes from!
Heaven on Earth is a concept that transcends religion. Most people agree: Earth is heavenly beautiful, we've trashed it, and we need to clean it up together.
Sign the Petition Here
Let's be Earth-love promoters. More H.O.E.P., more H.O.P.E.!
Who Is It For? EVERYONE.
This is for everyone. If you are a teacher, a community organizer, church representative, etc., you could involve and inspire youth!
Inspire, activate, and give purpose—appropriate for any age (from school-aged children to older individuals, e.g., activity at adult day care). It allows human connection despite being apart, as well as connections in person!
Instill hope to keep going via good dopamine released when doing good deeds. Also, through release of endorphins, serotonin, adrenaline—feel-good natural chemicals (neurotransmitters associated with physical activity). Mental health care providers can prescribe cleanup sessions to those patients that may benefit from volunteering.
Perfect for:
Teachers, community organizers, church representatives
School-aged children to older adults
Youth camps, high schools, universities/colleges, environmental clubs
Former and current professional athletes
People with disabilities
Mental health providers (as a wellness activity)
Key Benefits:
Instill hope through good dopamine from doing good deeds
Release endorphins, serotonin, and adrenaline from physical activity
Build human connection both online and in-person
Flexible for any season, any age, anywhere
Appropriate for classroom settings, youth camps, and community groups
How to Make Cleanups Popular
Birthday Cleanups
We all have 12 monthly birthdays! If you're born on February 14th, your monthly birthday is the 14th of every month. Celebrate with a cleanup party! Invite people who wouldn't normally do cleanups but would show up at your birthday event. At the end, extend the "eco-challenge" to your guests. Suggest birthday cleanups to others, and even surprise your aunt, grandmother, or a friend by cleaning up their blocks!
Lovingly Pay Back Earth
Did you go on vacation by airplane? It's okay. But please do a cleanup at your destination or at home to compensate. Same if you flew to watch a band, a sports event, or to run a marathon! Riding in a car applies too.
Stroll & Cleanup
Meeting a friend for coffee and a stroll? Do a trash-pickup walk together.
Wait & Trash Pickup
Are you a parent waiting for your kid to finish soccer training? Get a trash bag from the trunk (new habit alert!), gloves, and do a quick trash cleanup. You'd be surprised how you inspire not only your child, but others too, and even their parents—to care more about Earth!
Don't Overthink It
Do a cleanup by yourself, just as you walk solo, go to the gym alone, or dance in your living room! Do not wait for others, and do not get used to depending on cleanup groups. You are the cleanup group!
No Matter How Small
No matter how small your cleanup is, it's big! Cleaning a tree-bed is as relevant as a long block. All cleanups—solo, spontaneous, planned, in small groups or larger—are valuable!
Email Invite Template
Copy, customize, and send!
A ready-to-use email template:
Hi [Name],
Want to hear about an easy, practical activity that makes a visible difference quite fast? Let's make the Trash Olympics happen! Not only as a strong, global movement in our everyday lives, but also to open the way for trash pickups as a new Olympic Sport at L.A. in 2028!
It all starts with launching together the Daily Trash Mobs Hashtags! These hashtags will help us quantify the extent of the daily, global trash pickup movement. We'll finally make cleanups popular, and a clean Earth the norm. We'll feel less alone, and that our efforts are connected, no matter where we are on the globe!
The Idea
Every cleanup, whether it's 10 minutes solo or a full group walk, is an "Olympic training session." Indeed, everyone is a Trash Athlete! The long-term, playful vision is to build enough global participation that "Trash Olympics" becomes a recognizable civic tradition by the time Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Games (not affiliated with LA28/IOC—just inspired by the spirit of collective effort).
Why This Works
Community cleanups can shift behavior through repetition, social proof, and pride in shared spaces. Gamification and visible progress help people stick with the habit.
How to Play (60 seconds)
Pick a spot (your block, a trailhead, a school entrance, a bus stop)
Do a quick pickup (even 10 minutes counts)
Post a photo/video using the daily hashtag format: #TrashMobYYYYMonDD (4 digit year, 3 letters month, 2 digit day) Examples: #TrashMob2026Jan01 or #TrashMob2026Jun06
Also use #TrashOlympics
This shared tag is the "synchronization"—it helps people feel less alone and keeps the momentum visible.
Expect the numbers to be low at first, but keep going! Remember, we are launching a new challenge together—and part of the challenge is exactly making these hashtags popular. Furthermore, this is a good eco-challenge that connects both the online and offline worlds, since it is meant to help heal Earth!
You can play this alone or with others; all ages are welcome! All participants should do their own post, using both the hashtag of the day and #TrashOlympics on their preferred social media platforms.
Let's de-normalize trash—together.
With love + grit,
[Your Name]
Other Ways to Participate
Videos
Do 5-minute videos. Depending on your age, you can be in the videos, or incorporate clips that others publicly shared after seeing your hashtags.
Do videos about impressions, suggestions, what worked, what you think of this, why we need the Trash Olympics, or even interview style, asking others.
Do short videos about your opinions regarding items that become aggressive litter. E.g., How about balloons? Should they be used in life celebrations? Should party planners use them? How about schools?
Share videos in class and on social media. Don't forget to use the hashtags #TrashOlympics and #TrashMobYYYYMonDD.
Foldable Tote Bags
College students can go to local businesses close to school, asking for donations for foldable totes. Parents or teachers can accompany younger or shy students.
Reach Out to Media
Depending on your age, you or your teacher can reach out to the media (local or not, traditional or not). Tell them: "We want to start this good challenge. Can you help us bring the Trash Olympics to the world stage by 2028?" Share your story, talk about progress tracked, etc.
School-to-School Challenges
Environmental clubs—create a group challenge where you contact an eco-club from another university, inviting them to join the game. Tell them: "Together, let's show the world we need a new Olympic Sport in 2028!"
Discord Community (Coming Soon)
Teachers, students, and everyone else—please share notes, observations, suggestions, questions, what worked and what didn't. This is 'chapter material' for all. Let's create a blueprint together for others.
From Trash to Treasure
When you do a cleanup next to a body of water, contribute to mapping the area, helping us understand the correlation between human activity and littering.
Cleanup Rules & Guidelines
Two Main Rules:
1. Use protection (such as gloves)
2. Do not engage with litter bugs, or fights may arise
Our Approach:
We do not want to tell litterbugs what to do. We only show them, in case they catch us in action. If anyone should discipline them, that's not us; those are the law enforcement officers who may fine them for littering.
What We Want to Do:
01
A) Help the ones who already do cleanups to amplify the relevance of their actions using the power of the Internet.
02
B) Encourage the ones who have the right opinion to not shy away from having initiative (do that cleanup you agree with—do not wait for others to do it with you).
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C) Share with everyone simple ways of making cleanups popular, including how to successfully extend the invitation to people who normally do not think of doing cleanups.
Always Sign & Share the Petition When You Do a Cleanup
Why? "If you do a cleanup and don't sign the petition, you miss an opportunity to amplify your effort. Not because what you did isn't big enough, but because new litter may pile on fast, covering your traces… Cleanup organizers who share the petition empower the participants, giving them a voice that stays even when they're absent."
Always Use the Hashtags
Always use the Daily Trash Mob Hashtags and the #TrashOlympics on all forms of social media. Why? They will help us feel connected. Once more and more people start using them, we'll be able to easily understand that there are numerous Earth-lovers on all continents who are caring for the planet on any given day, even if often-times we might feel isolated, defeated, tired, or alone.
FAQs / Problem Solving
Q: What if my town has no recycling system or infrastructure?
A: Adapt creatively. Focus on collecting trash safely. Advocate, petition, or inspire others to improve the system. When something bothers us, we start looking for solutions—now or even years later. Maybe some will be inspired to invent new things when they grow up, others will work and/or advocate for the community, some will start a petition right away, while others will adopt a green lifestyle.
Q: What if students lack internet access?
A: Teachers can act as connectors. Use offline cleanups, create letters, or connect with sister schools in other towns. There are always ways to be creative and navigate around limited connectivity. The lack of Internet should not limit anyone from connecting with the planet. After all, today's adults grew up without Internet. Some had pen-pals. Maybe your teacher could find a sister school in another town, or a school in a sister city.
Q: What if participants are alone?
A: Solo cleanups count just as much. Post on social media to join the global movement and feel connected. You don't need followers to have influence. Your street, your block, your trail—that's your arena. Show up consistently and others will notice. When picking up litter becomes second nature for you, it inspires the people around you to think twice before walking past that stray wrapper.
Disclaimer
The Trash Olympics is an independent grassroots movement and is not affiliated with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), LA28, or the official Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The Trash Olympics is inspired by the spirit of collective effort, global participation, and the Olympic values of excellence, respect, and friendship. We use the term "Olympics" to celebrate the idea that environmental action is a universal sport—one that everyone can participate in, regardless of location, ability, or background.
This is a community-driven initiative dedicated to raising eco-awareness and mobilizing people to take action on litter and environmental cleanup. All participants engage in cleanup activities at their own discretion and assume responsibility for their own safety.