KEEN x Ellis Brigham x Trash Free Trails – Making A Difference, One Trail At A Time

KEEN x Ellis Brigham x Trash Free Trails – Making A Difference, One Trail At A Time

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At KEEN, we take pride in making cleaner shoes for a better planet. We call it Consciously Creating - our commitment to reducing impact and reimagining how footwear can be made responsibly. We believe in a shoe industry that has a positive effect on the earth and the people who call it home. 

But creating change doesn’t stop at the factory door. At times, the best way to make a difference is to step outside and take action. That’s why, in late May, we teamed up with Ellis Brigham and Trash Free Trails to help care for the places that care for us. 

Trash Free Trails Logo

What is Trash Free Trails?

Trash Free Trails is a community-focused, non-profit organisation that inspires riders, runners, and roamers alike to protect the wild places we love. Their mission is simple but powerful: to reconnect people with nature through the act of removing single-use pollution (aka litter) from our trails, parks, and green spaces. 

It’s a positive, inclusive call to arms, and one that couldn’t align more closely with KEEN’s values. So, when the opportunity arose to get involved, we didn’t hesitate. That’s why, in celebration of the launch of our Targhee IV, we teamed up with Ellis Brigham and Trash Free Trails (and some of you!) this May to help care for the places that care for us.

Ellis Brigham Logo

Who is Ellis Brigham?

Ellis Brigham is one of the UK’s leading outdoor retailers, with over 90 years of heritage in helping people get out and enjoy the great outdoors. Family-owned and run, they offer expert advice and premium gear for everything from hiking and trail running to skiing and climbing. Their passion for the outdoors goes beyond retail—it’s rooted in a desire to protect the wild places their customers explore.

Shop Targhee IV

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Four Clean-ups, One Shared Goal 

Over the past few weeks, members of the KEEN and Ellis Brigham teams, in collaboration with Trash Free Trails, took part in four trail clean-ups across Capel Curig, Bristol, London, and Manchester.  

Together, we got involved with boots on the ground, bin bags in hand. And the result? We collectively removed 1,673 pieces of single-use pollution from the trails and green spaces we explored. 

Here’s a quick breakdown of what we found:

  • 1,673 items of single-use pollution  
  • 21% of the litter collected would have been eligible for the Deposit Return Scheme (a system where consumers pay a small deposit on drink containers and get it back when they return the empty container) 
  • Too many cigarettes to count 
  • Receipts, receipts, and more receipts 

Team members picking up trash along the canal in Manchester.
People smiling as they remove litter from a wooded area.
Three people standing on the shore of a canal removing trash.

Across all four locations, we truly felt the impact you can make when people come together with a shared purpose. There’s something powerful about walking through a green space, litter picker in hand, and knowing you're helping restore it for others to enjoy. It was a reminder that caring for wild places doesn't have to be complicated. It just takes time, willingness, and a pair of gloves. The team was fitted with our Targhee IV boots for the day, and it couldn’t have been a better choice. Built for comfort and grip across mixed terrain, it handled city paths and muddy edges with ease. It’s also one of our most sustainable hiking boots yet—featuring environmentally preferred leather, PFAS-free water repellency and 100% recycled plastic laces - all consciously created to tread lighter on the planet.

The KEEN Targhee IV boots being used during a litter cleanup event.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the scale of environmental challenges we fact but this initiative reminded us that small actions, repeated by many, can drive meaningful change. 

We’re proud to stand alongside Ellis Brigham and Trash Free Trails, and we’re grateful to everyone who volunteered their time to protect the trails we love. 

At the end of the day, making a difference starts by showing up.

 Want to Get Involved? 

Head to Trash Free Trails to find out how you can join a clean-up near you—and be part of something positive. 

  • A man removing litter from a walking path in Manchester.
  • A litter picking device reaching into the brush to remove a soda can.
  • A group of people on a trail cleanup walking down a path while removing pollution.
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