The challenge #TrashTag is a viral trend taking over social media. People all over are cleaning up the environment and sharing it online.
Although a new trend online, it’s something nature lover Caitlin Deporter has already been doing for nearly a decade. The beauty of the outdoors is something Deporter has always cherished.
"It's just grown from a young age, an appreciation for everything natural," Deporter says.
She spends a lot of her time hiking near the Potomac River in Maryland.
"My dad and I usually do our big hiking trips together," she says.
Along those hikes, Deporter says she sees a lot of garbage.
"There are a lot of beer cans and bottles, I will tell you that," she says.
Americans produce more than 250 million tons of waste annually, according to the EPA. Keep America Beautiful reports $11.5 billion is spent yearly cleaning it all up.
However, Deporter is doing one simple thing to curb those statistics.
“I'll bring a normal size trash bag and a backpack and get prepared for a day of work,” she says.
For the last eight years, on her bi-weekly hikes, she brings a trash bag with her every time, picking up all the litter she sees along the way.
"I'm concentrating on getting trash where it's supposed to be," she says.
She does something small to help combat a big problem.
"I'm just one person; I can only do so much," she says.
She’s hoping the #TrashTag movement keeps up, for the sake of the environment.
"I hope this whole trend really sticks, and it's not just you know people do it for a week to get all their photos in and look all cool, you know,” Deporter says. “I really hope people continue to do it."
