Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-06-08

Running may be good for your health. But are organized running events good for the

A Greenpeace survey says only 40% of runners given a souvenir shirt ever wear it again after their race. (CNA photo)

environment? Environmental conservation organization Greenpeace has been making some suggestions on how to make long-distance running events greener.

Last year there were nearly 800 long-distance running events held in Taiwan – more than two a day. Greenpeace estimates that the events saw 4 million disposable cups, 3 million souvenir running shirts and 3 million plastic bags given away. That’s not to mention the countless plastic water bottles discarded along the course. These all place a burden on the environment.

Greenpeace’s Luo Ke-jung says polyester running shirts pose a threat to the marine ecosystem. When a shirt is washed, an estimated 1,900 plastic microfibers detach and enter the water cycle. When they reach the sea they may suck up heavy metals or other pollutants and end up in the bodies of fish – and ultimately in the bodies of humans.
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