Plocka upp: there is clean where we are jogging!

In this article we would like to tell about an eco-initiative, which was launched by 61-year-old American comedian Devid Sedaris in Sweden. Once, in the morning he decided to take a bag for garbage with him for a walk, thus starting a world trend. First publications about this unusual activity appeared in Instagram back in Oktober 2016. The term “plogging” itself has roots from Swedish “plokka upp” – picking up and from English jogging accordingly. It has widespread not only in neighboring Germany and Denmark, but was also noticed even in distant countries of Latin America and South Asia.

So what does the idea imply? While going out for a jogging or for a walk you are supposed to take a bag for trash and gloves in order not to make your hand dirty, and pick up the garbage on your way. For instance, Sedaris is trying to be active in “plogging” around his own district West Sussex, by making 60 000 (!) steps per walk.

Any borders or the country of residence could not be a barrier for such an activity; we need to have a certain level of conscious and courage (in order to bear gazes full of surprise from other pedestrians) and passion for walks on the fresh air. You can exercise “plogging” at any age, despite your color, sex, social origin, or professional background. Although this Scandinavian initiative is a quite young one – only two years old – in Ukraine the “Kyiv Plogging Club” has already been created! Its team is very active and organizes events right in the capital. Thus, on 22^nd of September club members have organized “anti – trash” jogging action along the Rusanivska naberezna during the Clean Fest Rusanivka. The initiators were writing on their Facebook page @kyivploggingclub: “We love our beautiful city and we keen on jogging. During jogging we are collecting trash”.

Of course, our team from Ecological Club “Green Wave” cannot miss an opportunity to become a part of modern eco-changes! This September we took part in two “plogging” actions: have organized our own and joined an international one. On the 8th of September Oleksandra Khalaim, the head of EcoClub, has joined to the “plogging” on the Swedish island Visby together with the international group of students from the study course “Sustainability Applied in International Learning”, which was organized by the Baltic University Program (BUP SAIL for Students) on the board of the Polish training vessel “Frederic Chopin”. Moreover, on the 30th September – the Day of European Languages in Kyiv our interns Marina and Liliya have decided to enjoy last autumn warm days by organizing their own “plogging” on the Podil. So do not waste your time on any kind of doubts – next time while going out do not forget a bag and gloves with you ;)

Authors: Marina Potriina, Oleksandra Khalaim