WHAT IS Plogging?

Yesterday, on my 3 mile walk with my dog, I decided I couldn’t just walk by the trash that people left behind. On purpose or by accident, it didn’t matter it was collecting in a nearby creek that just sickened me at the sight. I decided to jump in and pick it up. I am ALWAYS behind the times, but I saw that this was trending a few years back called PLOGGING. Swedish for the word pick up - plocka up… and the English word jog. The act of picking up trash while you jog or run… I don’t think it matters what exercise you are doing…combine it with picking up litter and you will keep your trails, streets and parks litter free. This doesn’t have anything to do with composting but in a round about way it does… for every small change we make in our behavior, it can create a huge positive impact on our environment.

Here are some tips for PLOGGING.

Carry a small trash bag or plastic bag with you to hold the trash, and wear gloves.

• If your typical running or walking route is out-and-back, identify items to pick up on the way out, and then actually pause to pick them all up on the way back.

• Shift the bag from hand to hand every so often, so the weight stays distributed as you move.

• Consider asking a local business along your route if you could use their dumpster or bin—this prevents you from needing to bring your bag of picked-up litter back to your starting point.

• Don’t feel that you have to do it every time you go out for a walk or jog. Make it a monthly or weekend tradition.

• Bring a friend or organize a group!

• Use the hashtag #plogging to find a community of ploggers near you.

Finally, congratulate yourself on helping to keep your community clean.