Remember Litterati, the digital initiative set to create an educated change about managing waste through individual actions and technology as a tool. Yes, we featured it on our blog earlier this month. Well, we got in touch with the man who is running this great initiative - Jeff Kirschner to learn more about Litterati.

For those who don't know much about Litterati - Literati is a movement to keep our planet clean. This one-man initiative was started in the September of 2012 by Jeff who is a California-based entrepreneur.

The story of Litterati began on one fine day when Jeff went for hiking in the Oakland Hills with his two kids. His four-year old daughter noticed that someone had thrown litter into a creek and said "Daddy, that doesn't go there!" This one incident made Jeff realize the need to keep the planet litter-free.

According to the website, "Trash is everywhere. Soda cans, plastic bags, and cigarette butts litter the environment, choke wildlife, and threaten our planet. By combining technology, social awareness and art, the Litterati is tackling this ever-escalating problem one piece of litter at a time."

Litterati is a movement that uses Instagram to clean the planet. All that you have to do is to find a piece of litter, click a picture of it using Instagram and add the hashtag "#litterati" and then throw away or recycle the litter. As simple as that! In this process the folks at Litterati are collecting a lot of data.

If you'll visit the website you'll notice their photo gallery called the Digital Landfill that features the different pieces of litter that have been noticed and being picked up. With the help of geo-tagging, the folks at Litterati are also providing some very helpful stats like the commonly found litter-items, the top countries and states that are the problem areas and the places where Litterati community is most active. The movement is doing great as this can be clearly made out with the stats and the photos.

The folks at Litterati are also planning to get in touch with companies and organizations, that generate the most litter, to find eco-friendly and sustainable solutions to this problem.

To learn more about Litterati and the Jeff, read on our exclusive interview with him.

Happy reading!

1. Hi Jeff, please introduce yourself to our E-junkie readers.

I'm Jeff Kirschner, the founder of Litterati.

2. What is Litterati? What inspired you to take up this cause?

Litterati is a movement that uses Instagram to clean the planet - one piece of litter at a time. And in the process, we're collecting a lot of data.

It all started when I was hiking in the Oakland Hills with my two kids, and my four-year old daughter noticed that someone had thrown a plastic tub of cat litter into a creek."Daddy, that doesn't go there," she said. That was an eye-opening moment which became the inspiration for Litterati.

3. I really love the fact that you are using Instagram and Twitter to make things happen. What prompted this move and why?

Initially, I thought it'd be interesting to take pictures of what I was picking up. Instagram made litter more approachable. Rather than seeing a piece of trash, I saw an opportunity to be creative while cleaning up the planet. Once I realized there was a significant amount of data associated with each photograph, I became curious about the potential to create a social impact.


We're in our infancy, but over 13,000 pieces have already been picked up, cataloged, and properly discarded. Each day more people are participating, contributing from all over the world.

(We don't currently collect data on a user's age).

The other day I was invited to speak at Sees the Day, this great environmental youth camp in Berkeley, CA. I was sharing our story with the kids, when this young boy, maybe six or seven years old, said that he had always wanted to help the world, but never understood how he could make a difference. And now he knew. He then gave me a big hug. As far as I'm concerned, compliments don't get much bigger than that.



By sharing the story. Because litter is a fundamental issue that affects all of us, Litterati is an idea that resonates with many people. Now, the community is beginning to promote itself. Each of us contributes to the greater good. And when you're part of a bigger movement, it keep you motivated. Knowing that there are others who share your purpose, who believe what you believe -- that's a powerful and unifying force.

I'm not sure if there's an "ideal" mix of online and offline promotions; each situation is different. And I believe that word-of-mouth is the most powerful form of promotion. For us, we certainly rely on the web and social media to spread the message.

It starts with our website, where we have a photo gallery of the litter that's been picked up, a global map pinpoints the location where trash is emerging, and a list of the most commonly found products. We use Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ to shares stories, photographs, hold funny caption contests, offer environmental tips, and just have a conversation about the world around us.

Offline, we've presented at technology conferences, worked with schools, and participated in organized litter walks and beach cleanups.




I'm focused on Litterati.

7. What are the leisure activities you participate in when you aren't working? What do you find most relaxing?

I enjoy spending time with my family, rolling around the floor with my kids and acting silly.

8. What is on the top of your inspiration library right now? This could be anything from blogs, books, magazines to vintage catalogues/manuals etc.

I've always been inspired by Steven Pressfield's the "The War of Art" - it's a book that has changed my life and I keep close at all times. Currently, I'm reading "Drive" by Dan Pink, which provides an outstanding look into what really motivates us. Similarly, I really admire Nir Eyal's thinking and how he makes the complex simple. One of my must-reads is Brad Feld, a venture capitalist at the Foundry Group, who is one of the most authentic, humble and transparent people I've ever come across. My inspiration list wouldn't be complete without "Oh the Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss. Gets me every time.

9. What are your future plans for yourself and Litterati?

To listen and learn from the Litterati community. It's imperative that we provide them with the greatest experience possible, and let each person know that every time they pick up just one piece, they make an impact. As Howard Zinn said, "Small acts when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world."

10. One piece of advice you would like to give budding and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Stay resilient.

Thanks Jeff for taking out the time and doing this interview with us. We'd like to wish you the very best for the future.

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