Four pieces of litter a day

The ‘Four plastic a day’ Facebook group attracted more than 6,000 members in its first week.

It was founded by Svein Rógvi Nielsen Ljósstein and his wife Annika in Klaksvík.

“For many years, my wife and I have been watching from our kitchen window how the little beach outside is being strewn with litter, and it became a daily habit for us to go down there and try and pick it up,” says Svein Rógvi.

Spreading the message

Knowing that this littering problem was not restricted to their little spot in Klaksvík, they decided to set up a Facebook group in the hope that others would make a habit of picking up litter on a regular basis.

“We had hoped to get a couple of hundred members, so we were rather surprised to see that thousands had joined the group after only a few days,” he explains.

Many of the members share photos of litter, and Svein Rógvi says the members do not regard the clearing up as a drudgery: “You get lots of fresh air, and it’s good exercise too.”

Inspiring young people

The initial objective of the group was simply to shed light on littering in the Faroes, but Svein Rógvi believes the positive response may contain greater perspectives:

“I was delighted to see that many of the group’s members are young people, and they are the ones who more than anyone else need to continue this trend.”

Translated by prosa.fo