What is plogging – the sporting activity that is good for the environment
It is a sport that lets you run and bend down continually, doing plenty of squats along the way. It can bring considerable benefits to the cardiovascular system and help restore muscle tone. And it is very good for the environment
You like running outdoors and at the same time you care about keeping the environment clean. You would love to do both, but time is a tyrant and won’t allow it; so you are undecided whether to think first about your own health or that of the planet. Perhaps you do not know that there is a discipline that combines these two passions in one: plogging.
Why it is called ‘plogging’
Plogging comes from combining the well-known English term ‘jogging’ with the Swedish term ‘plocka upp’, which means to pick up. The reason for this choice is that the activity is based on the union of these two disciplines.
How it began
Its inventor, Erik Ahlström, was no newcomer to environmental activism. Before founding the plogging movement, he was already involved in clean-up initiatives and in raising awareness of respect for the environment. His unique approach, which combines fitness and care for the environment, quickly gained popularity, turning plogging into a global phenomenon.
Do you like running outdoors and are you concerned about keeping the environment clean? Do both at once
In practice, while you are running outdoors, you pick up the litter you find along your route. To practise plogging, as with running or walking, you need very little equipment.
Comfortable clothing, as for jogging: wear comfortable running shoes and clothes suited to the weather conditions.
Rubbish bag: a sturdy bag for collecting the rubbish found along the route. Some ploggers use dedicated plogging bags, handy to ‘wear’, made from recycled cotton or jute fabric or other recycled materials and fitted with a shoulder strap.
Protective gloves: it is advisable to wear gloves to protect your hands from dirt and potentially dangerous objects. A latex glove could also be useful as protection against liquid waste. Alternatively, a glove with a waterproof palm and a fabric back for greater breathability.
Litter pickers: although not strictly necessary, they can be useful for picking up rubbish without having to bend down each time, making the activity less tiring. Here too there are specific products that are light, foldable and easy to use. They are generally made of aluminium alloy, weigh no more than 300 g and come in various lengths.
Like running, it is a sport suitable for all ages. It can be done alone or in a group. Doing it alone has its advantages, such as the flexibility to choose your own route and pace, perhaps while listening to your favourite podcast or your own music.
Doing it in a group can increase the impact on the cleanliness of the area and at the same time lets you enjoy the company of friends or loved ones. Company can motivate you to keep up the activity regularly.
From the point of view of health and physical activity, it is a sport that lets you run and bend down continually (squats), with considerable benefits for the cardiovascular system, and it is excellent for restoring muscle tone.
The plogging world championship
If you think this idea may be a passing fad, be aware that in Italy there are already associations promoting plogging. And not only that: there is also the World Plogging Championship, held annually in different Italian locations, whose first edition took place in 2021 in Val Pellice, Piedmont.
In 2023 the competition was held in Genoa. The men’s world title was won by Manuel Jesús Ortega García, while the women’s title went to Elena Canuto, who was also world champion last year. We refer you to the official page.
According to the organisers, the event set a new record compared with previous years, with about 3,000 kg of rubbish collected, against the 1,152 kg recovered in 2022 and the 795 kg collected in 2021, the first year of the event.
In theory, if this sport became widespread, it could have a significant impact on the cleanliness of the environment and of nature.
As the plogging.org website shows, the single event organised in 2023 had a considerable environmental impact, amounting to almost 6 million grams of CO2 not released into the atmosphere thanks to the proper separate collection and recycling of the rubbish collected. As the site itself states, these emissions are equivalent to the amount produced by a car travelling 60,000 km or 50 flights between Milan and Rome.
Sources you can start from to find out more about plogging:
