Collecting garbage was a punishable offence in school days, and it is certain that even today pupils are ordered to collect discarded cloths, cans, foils and other items after school. Of course, collecting garbage sounds like a rather “inferior” activity, but discarded garbage simply looks inferior.

It is a pity that collecting garbage is often associated so negatively, because it is actually an easy way to clean and protect the environment. Since 2016 there has been a new trend from Sweden, this time a trend you really should join, namely plogging. The garbage collection is combined with jogging, how it came to that and more information about the topic, we have put together for you today.

What is plogging ?

The derivation of the term is very simple, it is made up of the Swedish “plocka”, i.e. to pick up, and jogging, the sport in which you run through the area and nature.

In return for normal jogging, for which you only need running shoes, you need a garbage bag and gloves for plogging. This is how the littering of the landscape is to be fought. When jogging you bend down regularly to pick up the garbage you found and take it with you. As already mentioned, the trend originates from Sweden and was launched in 2016, Erik Ahlströhm was a pioneer here, who was initially rather smiled at, but then gradually found followers. He was disturbed by the garbage lying around and began to take it with him. Gradually, many supporters were found and the trend spread both nationally and internationally via social networks.

The advantages of plogging

Plogging offers numerous advantages, both for the environment and for one’s own person as well as for society as a whole, which we would now like to briefly highlight. The positive aspects that the new trend brings for nature and the environment are quickly revealed:

• waste generated can be disposed of properly
• animals do not eat plastic or similar things that they die of and less waste gets into the oceans

Especially in the city, many people ask why they should collect garbage, after all, there is the city cleaning service. However, this does not clean behind every discarded part, but usually comes only once a day – time enough for waste to be blown into streams or rivers or to get stuck in trees and bushes. Plogging means that you spend very little time on cleanly disposing of garbage.

But not only the environment is improved by this kind of sport, with few means one builds by Ploggen further activities into its run routine. Jogging primarily improves endurance as well as the calf and leg muscles. Many runners therefore do additional squats, i.e. knee bends and other exercises to train other body regions, plogging makes it easier to incorporate the exercises.

Through regular bending, i.e. bending, lifting up and standing up, the trunk, buttocks and other body regions are trained. In addition, many runners swear by interval training, which results in weclhes. This results in another positive aspect, since you collect the garbage while running, plogging is extremely suitable for everyday use and can quickly become a routine.

Another aspect that we want to point out here is that plogging simply sets an example. Many get annoyed when they see that garbage is thrown out of cars, when butts are left lying in the woods, when packages are carelessly thrown next to a garbage can. And yes, it is often not one’s own garbage that one sees and there will always be people who carelessly throw things into the area. It may not be the best way to clean up other people’s garbage, but it is an effective way to make a difference and make the world a better place. Because just because others are careless with nature doesn’t mean you have to watch carelessly.

Plogging in Germany

The easiest way to start plogging is alone or with a few friends, because you don’t need much to run around and collect garbage. In bigger cities there were already first actions in the past, with which garbage was collected together. The recommendation, however, is not to wait for others to organize plogging actions, because that is often the biggest problem: people wait until others start something. Many groups and like-minded people can now be found via social media, especially through frequently used and regional hashtags, for example, pictures can be shared and linked. Before and after pictures are also very popular here, you simply take a picture of a rubbish place and then show a picture of the cleaned place.

Whoever shares his environmental thoughts draws attention to the problem, shows that garbage collection is more than just a punishment, finds like-minded people and does something for the environment. Plogging is a trend that will hopefully soon find more followers in Germany and thus help to avoid plastic and garbage in the environment and seas.

Admittedly, it’s probably funny to run with a garbage bag for the first time, especially when you’re running alone. And yes, people certainly look, but people almost always look or gawk when something is going differently than they are used to. But Plogging offers the possibility to do a lot for the environment in a very simple way, the only thing you have to do for this is to overcome your inner piggy-back. You already manage to create something positive for the environment as well as for your own physical fitness. And if people look funny, then you should simply explain the problem and its action to them – and perhaps such a new Plogging group results, in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, in the EU, everywhere it is possible. There are also groups on other continents, organisations that clean and tidy beaches, for example. Changing the world takes time, but we simply have to start, even if they are supposedly small actions, only in this way can we protect the environment, our environment. But that is how we can make a difference together.