After establishing a strong community in Fortitude Valley, local clean-up crew Rubbish Club is taking its simple but effective formula for human connection to suburbs across Brisbane and beyond.
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Rubbish Club, the social initiative founded by Magnus Murray-Douglass as an initiative of his recyclables business Boe Design, has grown into a promising success story. Every Saturday, members meet up for a coffee and a chat before grabbing a pair of grippers and spending an hour walking a couple of blocks, picking up litter along the way. No experience required. No ongoing commitment. Just people, pavement, and a pair of grippers.
What began as a desire to make new friends and clean up the streets has since expanded well beyond Fortitude Valley’s footpaths. Having built a loyal following in the suburb, Rubbish Club has rolled out to Bayside and continues to grow across the city, with Murray-Douglass eyeing further expansion around Australia.
The timing is not accidental. Rubbish Club arrived at a moment when many young Australians were quietly souring on the social lives their screens had promised them. A 2025 poll conducted for the Foundation for Social Health found that around 91 per cent of Gen Z respondents felt social media was undermining their real-world relationships, with more than half reporting that time spent on platforms left them feeling distressed and distracted. Murray-Douglass had felt that tension himself — and Rubbish Club was his answer to it.
The inspiration, he has said, came partly from watching the rise of running clubs and recognising that young people were actively searching for more connection in their communities. As someone who didn’t identify as a runner, he saw an opportunity to create something with a lower barrier to entry, a way to meet people, get outside, and do something useful at the same time.
Why join the Rubbish Club?
The club’s format strips away everything that makes modern socialising feel high-stakes. Attendance is free. Comfortable clothes and enclosed shoes are all you need. Eligible containers collected during walks are deposited through the Container Deposit Scheme, helping to fund the club’s operations, and any plastics gathered are recycled through Boe Design, which manufactures furniture from recyclable materials.
Murray-Douglass has noted that cigarette butts are by far the most common item collected — frequently found right next to a bin. It’s a small frustration, but one that hasn’t dampened the club’s spirit. The social dimension, he has emphasised, is at the heart of what makes it work. Without the ability to bring strangers together and build a group of like-minded people, he has said, the whole thing would fall apart.
The commitment asked of members is deliberately modest — meetups run for about an hour, equipment is provided on the day, and participants can come weekly or drop in whenever life allows.
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Rubbish Club sits within a broader wave of in-person social initiatives taking hold across Brisbane, with young people increasingly seeking out spaces where connection happens face-to-face. Those interested can follow @rubbishclub.aus on Instagram or sign up at rubbishclub.com.au.
Published 26-February-2026
