What you need to know:
- #trashtag challenge is a new viral internet challenge.
- Pakistan has picked it up to encourage environmental awareness.
- People from all around the world are taking part in this challenge.
Dubai: The Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad, Mohammad Hamza Shafqaat recently took up the viral social media challenge, hashtag #trashtag. His tweet is encouraging people to help clean up the capital city of Pakistan.
On Twitter, he shared a post through the account @dcislamabad with the caption: “Islamabad are you ready for the #trashtag challenge? 1-Take a photo of an area that needs cleaning up or maintenance; 2-Clean up the area; 3- Share a photo after you have done it and share it with us using #CleanGreenIslamabad, #trashtagchallenge.”
People praised the initiative and called it a “great” and “brilliant” idea. Many even accepted the challenge.
Tweep @inayat_zeb posted: “Please Pakistan, let’s do this. Guests are on their way. Let’s show them our beautiful Islamabad.”
@shakooras tweeted: “Great work. Texpo Lahore (International Textiles Exhibition) is coming. Visitors will be visiting Islamabad too. But please keep it up. Great initiative and good support.”
While tweep @Muhamma21242457 posted: “It’s a good initiative to keep the city clean. Uploading the picture, would not be necessary, but spreading the awareness to the people is crucial. You are doing great job. Keep it up.”
Some online users even shared pictures and names of areas in and around Islamabad that needed cleaning up.
This challenge also helps promote Pakistan’s initiative to make Islamabad “clean and green” and their 10 Billion Tree Tsunami project to fight climate change.
The challenge first went viral after March 5, when Arizona man, Byron Román shared a pair of photos on Facebook of of environmental activist Drici Tani Younes from Algeria, with the caption: “Here is a new #challenge for all you bored teens. Take a photo of an area that needs some cleaning or maintenance, then take a photo after you have done something about it, and post it. Here are the people doing it #BasuraChallenge #trashtag Challenge, join the cause. #BasuraChallengeAZ.”
In first picture, Drici Tani Younes is sitting surrounded by trash and in the second picture, he is standing in the same place with nine bags full of garbage.
This post kick-started the movement and received more than 300,000 shares and 100,000 likes on Facebook. After the post went viral, Roman gave credit to Younes and clarified that “I didn’t start it, but I am glad my post reached every corner of the world”.
People have been participating in the challenge all week and have been sharing pictures to encourage more people to do the same.
Tweep @bacon_N_megs posted picture with the caption: “Usually I’m against doing good deeds just to post it online but in the case of #trashtag, I am 100 per cent for it, if that’s what it takes. Good people are good.”
@RMcNeil2105 posted a picture of himself completing the challenge along the Potomac River, south of Washington DC.
