Zero Waste Trail Run: 112 km and 852 pieces of litter along the ecomade supply chain
On 12 September 2026, Joel Hügli, designer and founder of the Swiss company ecomade, ran 112 km through central Switzerland and picked up every piece of litter he could reach along the way. European Trails supervised the run as ecomade’s environmental partner within its 1% for the Planet commitment.
A route that follows a product
The route traced the Swiss supply chain of ecomade’s circular mattresses. It started at 4:30 in the morning in Arth, where the mattress covers are made. From there it led over the Sattel pass and through the Rothenthurm raised bog, Switzerland’s largest connected moorland, then along Lake Zurich to Neuhaus, where the mattress cores are produced. After a last climb over the Pfannenstiel, Joel reached the ecomade showroom in Zurich late in the evening. About 80% of the distance ran on hiking trails.
Plogging over 112 km
Joel collected the litter with a grabber and an open bag fixed to his running vest. He emptied the bag every 20 to 30 km and recycled what could be recycled. He passed 300 pieces before the 30 km mark. Cigarette butts were by far the most common find. Every stop to pick something up cost energy. After a fall and a low point around kilometre 60, the last climb could only be done at walking pace.
Run facts
- Distance: 112 km
- Elevation gain: 1,742 m
- Litter collected: 852 pieces
- Time in motion: 15 h 56 min
- Share on hiking trails: about 80%
Why this matters for trails
Litter on trails is more than an eyesore. It harms wildlife, breaks down into microplastics and has to be removed by someone, often the volunteers and local trail organizations who also maintain the paths. A run like this shows how much ends up on a single route in a single day. It also shows that anyone who uses trails can help keep them clean.
For Joel, the run also stands for the idea behind his business: moving away from a throwaway culture towards products that stay in the loop. He describes the way there much like the run itself: sometimes hard, with detours and obstacles, but worth it when you look back at what has been achieved together.
Thank you!
Thanks to Joel and ecomade for this initiative and for choosing European Trails as their environmental partner, and to 1% for the Planet for connecting businesses with organizations working for nature.