‘Plogging’

When Erik Ahlstrom was walking his son to school in the small Swedish ski resort of Åre, he would frequently come across litter on the street, but when he moved to Stockholm the litter problem was even worse. As a keen athlete, Erik often ran with his friends and one day they decided to collect litter as they ran, “It became like a treasure hunt. We were running, laughing and having fun” said Erik. Soon others noticed what they were doing and joined in, call the activity ‘Plogging’

This comes from the Swedish verbs ‘plocka upp’ meaning to ‘pick up’ and ‘jogga meaning ‘to jog’, and participants explain that it not only benefits the environment, but also the runner. Using the core, leg and side muscles, it is estimated that it burns 50 more calories than regular jogging. The activity spread globally through social media, and it is now estimated that 2 million people ‘plog’ everyday in over 100 countries – Erik says, “You just need a bag, a pair of gloves, and you’re ready to go”.