So, plogging for exercise is becoming a thing. I hate to say “I told you so”, but I’ve been doing it for years, and I’ve got receipts. I blogged about having just heard about it and giving it a try in May 2019. So, as any logical person would then conclude: the entire world has finally caught on to my wisdom and everyone wants to be like me. Okay, seriously, I’m just kidding of course! I’m just glad that the world is finally catching on to this great habit, mainly thanks to TikTok.
Social Media is Exploding from Plogging for Exercise
I am just as enthusiastic about plogging for exercise today as I was back in the Before Times, when I started practicing it. So I was so surprised when I was suddenly seeing one, two, three…tons of mentions on Facebook and Twitter (follow me!) of the practice of jogging and picking up trash at the same time.
It makes sense that it would start to take off again. When I first started plogging for exercise, there were a lot of zero waste activities starting to be super trendy, like bringing your own reusable bags to the grocery store and skipping out on the plastic straws. The trouble with single-use plastics was right there in the spotlight.
Then “everything” happened the next year and single-use products started becoming quite necessary to keep many of us healthy and safe. Plus, there was a major trend away from touching anything that might have been touched by someone else unless it was necessary. Not to mention the fact that a lot of the trash I currently see blowing around my neighborhood is in the form of disposable masks (thank goodness not the gloves anymore). So, I can see why plogging for exercise ground to a halt before that trend had the chance to take off.
Making a Comeback and It’s Bigger than Ever
As we all start to feel better and more confident about what is and is not safe to do – and as we’re reminded that the problems with the Earth and climate change have not gone away – plogging for exercise is getting a second chance. It absolutely warms my heart that it’s happening!
For more information about what plogging is and how I do it, check out my original Plogging My Way to a Fitter Body post.
I’m still walking or jog-walking most of the time because I haven’t applied myself to jogging or running at a full level even through all this time. Goals for the future. Always goals.
That said, I’m still using a tote on my shoulder to carry the trash I pick up (which I spray down with white vinegar and then wash in the “serious laundry load”, and I usually re-use a plastic zipper seal bag of some kind over my hand to pick things up.
After I’ve used a bag like that for something non-gross (no meat, no sauce), I’ll rinse it out and set it upside down to dry. Then I’ll use it as a hand cover to pick up trash, then dispose of it with the trash I’ve collected. It’s not a perfect system, but it keeps my hand cleaner and gets one more use out of something I’d toss anyway.
I somewhat wish I’d tracked my trash collection while plogging for exercise over the years. I’d really love to know how much I’ve collected so I can report in. That said, I know I’ve recycled tons of cans and enough disposable coffee cups have gone into my organic waste bin that it likely looks like I’m running a café from my home. That’s a great feeling.