Plogging means an act of picking up trash such as used plastic bottles while jogging or running. It is a Swedish phenomenon that is beneficial for the environment as well as fitness. It has become the biggest trend in India, with people coming out and practising it enthusiastically.
It does not matter whether one goes for a 2-mile jog or a 10-mile marathon, or just a 10-minute morning walk. The purpose behind this is that one does some physical exercise while assisting in picking up litter.
In the Swedish town of Are, Erik Ahlstrom began the concept of plogging in 2016. In the event of Alpine skiing world championships, many participated in the plogging exercise. Ahlstrom made it clear that “In Swedish’ plocka’ is pick, and then jog of course. It’s a combination word, it’s two words put together – pick and jog.”
It improves the flexibility in the legs but burns calories in large numbers compared to regular running. There have been various events in the national capital, Chennai and other parts of India where people participate in the plogging process and spread awareness regarding waste management that “littering is not acceptable”, which further generates a sense of guilt that someone else’s trash is getting picked up.
Should there be learning from Swedish people when it comes to a healthy lifestyle? As Swedish activist Greta Thunberg shook the United Nations Climate Summit leaders demanding action on the climate crisis that has not been there for years. Numerous people from Sweden consider health and environment as important as their basic needs, whereas such issues have faced ignorance with a lack of voices in other countries.
Ahlstrom added, “The world record is actually in Mexico City, four thousand people have been plogging in one day, but I think it’s about 10 thousand people doing it regularly in India. In India, the biggest trend for running, it’s plogging right now.”
Following are the other benefits of plogging
- Tackle Plastic Pollution: The litter that nobody prefers to pick up will end up somewhere where it doesn’t hail from oceans and rivers. It becomes imperative to understand that it keeps the environment clean and better after one starts plogging.
- Protects Wildlife: When one spoils the environment through different unethical ways, wildlife endure the acts of humans and turtles, seabirds, marine mammals get their path into plastic bags or plastic cutlery, feeling trapped. It can be avoided if everyone gets together for plogging.
- Lowers social costs: The costs of cleaning public spaces from litter reduced by SEK 2 billion in Sweden in 2015. One can ponder on how one could use that money to resolve key issues. Collaborative endeavours such as plogging assist public spaces clean indirectly protect the city’s cost.
How to get started?
- Plan the destinations: Prefer a plogging route that is heavily littered but still believed to be safe and secure.
- Plogging gears: One should remember to bring recyclable trash bags and gloves, including hand sanitisers. Also, one should wear comfortable clothes too.
- Post Your Plogging pictures: Take photos and share your plogging activities and related work on respective social media platforms. It will inspire many people such as your friends, family members and others. PM Modi also did plogging and posted his picture doing that in 2019 to make people learn about it.
