Volunteers who refuse to look away

Volunteer group

Unable to find a local volunteer group dedicated to cleaning up the mountains, he decided to start one himself. He would take a trash bag on his weekend hikes and pick up trash from the trails.

But the more trash Wang picked up, the more there seemed to be. He realized that the effort needed more hands, and organizing volunteers demanded more time and energy than his job allowed. So Wang quit his job in 2024 to devote all his efforts to clearing trash from the mountains.

Wang's environmental awareness stretches back years. He learned about microplastics and their impact on human health while pursuing his degree in teaching Chinese as a foreign language. The foreign videos he translated on the subject left a deep impact on Wang.

"The average person ingests an amount of microplastics equivalent to the weight of a credit card each week. While a significant portion of these tiny particles is expelled from the body, not all of them are eliminated," he said.

Today, Wang supports himself by organizing eco-friendly events for brands, while the activities of his volunteer group for cleaning the mountains are free of charge. He provides trash bags and basic equipment to volunteers.

When weather allows, small teams of 10 volunteers head into the mountains to pick up trash. Some are trained climbers, while others have safety training. Together they clear trash from places that are hard to reach, including steep cliffs and crevices. The activities stop from June to September because it is very hot and there is a risk of snake bites.

It is arduous work. On one occasion, Wang was carrying about 20 kilograms of trash down a mountain when he fell and injured his lower back.

Mobilizing volunteers is also not easy. Some people join with enthusiasm but never return. "But some keep coming back. We have a volunteer who has participated in more than 20 cleanup events," Wang said.

But there are discouraging moments as well. During the Labor Day holiday, some hikers saw the volunteers carrying full trash bags and tried to toss their empty bottles in them.

"That made me angry. If we just take their trash for them, they'll keep littering when there is no one around to collect their trash," Wang said.

So the team started carrying biodegradable bags printed with the message "Don't litter". When someone tries to hand over their trash, the volunteers give them a bag instead and encourage them to take responsibility for their own waste.

What motivates Wang most is the knowledge that his group is inspiring others to follow suit. Last year, a hiker from Jiangyin, Jiangsu, saw Wang's team hauling bags of rubbish down the mountain. Inspired by the selflessness of their effort, he returned home and started his own cleanup group. That group is now larger than Wang's and cleans a local mountain about three times a week. "Sometimes people see us working and join us on the spot," Wang said.

Seeing less trash on the mountains also gives Wang more confidence. "On a few mountains we visit regularly, there's noticeably less trash. The situation is improving, and I've realized that we can really influence people."

Besides picking up trash, Wang and his team also teach hikers how to leave no trace outdoors.

"We recommend removing food packaging before departure, and using stainless steel or titanium containers to avoid creating trash. One should leave nothing behind but footprints," he said.

For Wang, the work doesn't require persistence because it never feels like a burden.

"If I didn't want to do this, that would take persistence," he said. "But this is just something I want to do. Every day I enjoy the positive energy that this gives me. I've created a good environment for myself, surrounded by positive people doing positive things. And I love every moment of it."