SUPing garbage man

SUPing garbage man
Related Topics:
Adaptation, Climate, Past Storyfest Entries, Sustainability, Water

Joseph Wright was never one to be afraid of picking up trash. No matter where or what, Joseph picks up the litter.

This past May, Wright was Stand Up Paddling, SUPing, when he first noticed the amount of waste in the Potomac River. He picked up some trash and took it out of the water. The next time, he brought a crate for collection. That filled up quickly. When he returned again, more crates came with him. Now Wright’s set up includes specific crates organized by the types of litter he finds. Following a picking session, he sorts through the findings and recycles anything he can in Fairfax County. 

Wright hopes to inspire others to pick up trash and goes out on the water as often as he can. Today he documents his passion for litter picking to share with others on Instagram, @SUP.Garbage.Man. As of November 2019, Wright has removed over 450 cubic feet of litter from the DMV’s water. That amount of trash could nearly fill a 1960’s VW bus. 

In the future, Wright hopes to organize clean up events and invite others to come pick litter with him. Joseph also has a road adopted in Fairfax county which he cleans regularly. 

I stumbled upon Wright’s page on IG while researching for a photo series featuring environmental activists.



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Tags:
Activism, rivers, storyfest, Waste

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