Plogging is a way to connect with nature, while helping to restore it. Oh, and you’ll burn some calories, too.
NBC Better
June 16, 2018
By Nicole Spector
Ever been on a run through the woods and notice litter mottling the otherwise natural scenery? Maybe it’s plastic six-pack ring, an empty Coke bottle or a few scattered cigarette butts. Whatever it is, it’s a bummer on a few levels. Not only is it aesthetically unpleasing, it’s a reminder of how careless and inconsiderate people can be. Then there’s the bigger picture problem: the deadly effects of trash on the ecosystem, as well as on innocent wildlife. The solution to the waste epidemic requires multipronged efforts, but we can all help — even on our routine jogs by “plogging”.
Plogging is simply picking up trash while jogging, and started in Scandinavia (the word is a portmanteau of ‘plocka upp’, which means ‘pick up’ in Swedish and ‘jogging’). The fitness trend has been rising in popularity in the states, and earlier this year, the health app Lifesum launched a feature enabling users to log and track their ‘plogging’, an effort supported by the Keep America Beautiful, a nonprofit focused on litter prevention.