NewsPositively Hampton Roads

Actions

Norfolk man cleans up community while getting active

Posted at 2:43 PM, Mar 26, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-26 17:23:48-04

NORFOLK, Va. -  An Ocean View resident is combining his passion of being active with cleaning up his community.

For the last month, John Smith has made a goal to run through Ocean View. While he runs, he picks up trash on the side of the road.

Smith documents his trash hauls on the Facebook page he created, Reduce-Recycle-ReRun.

John Smith

"Hopefully other people will see it and get interested in it," said Smith. "It's not about how far you run or how fast you run; it's about living healthy and getting out there and moving."

Smith uses three special pieces of equipment on his run: A tote bag, a trash grabber and gloves. With all three pieces, Smith is able to pick up trash without breaking his stride.

"I definitely slowed down since I started, but each run is definitely more interesting than previously," joked Smith. "A lot of time, running can get boring; I think it’s a lot more interesting now."

Smith says the most common pieces of garbage in his neighborhood are beer cans, cigarette packs and food waste. While it can be discouraging to see all the litter, Smith sees it as motivation.

"It's not all going to stay out there if I run and pick up trash," he explained. "I can notice a difference when I'm running every day."

Smith is hoping that difference will be seen by others and  inspire them to pick up trash on their own.

"It's a way to promote a healthy lifestyle a healthy environment. Together, we can make a larger impact in the entire city or however widespread we can take it," he explained.

For more information about Reduce-Recycle-ReRun, visit Smith's website.