Plogging in Pointe-Claire
Have you ever heard of plogging? It consists of running or jogging and picking up trash as you go. This trend started in Sweden in 2016 and the term ‘Plogging” actually comes from Swedish, “Plocka Upp”, which means “Pick Up”. This new exercise craze allows you to exercise and do something great for the environment. Sign me up! On September 15th, there was the fourth plogging event organized by Plogging Montreal. This group is travelling around to different parts of the city to go for a run together and beautify our city. I was unable to attend this event but I decided to try plogging on my own in Pointe Claire.
Pointe Claire is located near Lac St-Louis and I often worry about garbage, especially plastic garbage, ending up in the water. On a gray and windy Sunday, I headed out for my first plogging experiment. I got my tools of the trade:
Bag, gloves, running and my first trash find
Just stepping out into the street to start my run, I already found a dirty, red rubber band. Encouraged (or discouraged), I started out for a short 5 km run.
My second stop was Stewart Hall, a green space with a community center often frequented by visitors.
I was disappointed to find quite a number of items:
Portable applesauce
Disposable wipe, plastic bag
As I continued my “plog”, I more trash:
Fast Food = Fast Trash
As I approached the picturesque village of Pointe Claire and the popular and delicious ice cream shop Wild Willy’s:
I began to find plastic spoons and related plastic items from the sale of ice cream:
I do not like plastic spoons….
… or single use plastic cups…
… or plastic straws.
As I kept running, I found lots of other things:
Single use plastic bag
Gum wrapper
Plastic water bottle
After a brief 3 km run, I had filled up a plastic bag:
I had mixed emotions: I was pleased to have picked up garbage but surprised and disappointed that I actually found this amount of trash in a 5 km run. What would it be like to do this in Montreal? I went home to reflect on my run.
- Single use items are the most frequently discovered item: water bottles, plastic spoons, bags. We all need to do our best to avoid using these items.
- As my brother says, eating fast food is bad for the environment. I found lots of McDonald’s and Tim Horton’s cups and containers.
- Plogging is good exercise (trash pickup squats?)and allows you to to improve your local environment.
This is definitely something I plan to do again, hopefully at the next Plogging Montreal event. Hope to see you there!
Challenge for the Week: Have you ever tried plogging? Or will you? Even if you are out for a walk, you can plog (or pick up litter) too.
I will plog this weekend! I find a lot of trash on my way to the bus every morning. I pick up and leave at the trash container near the bus stop. Actually there is a recycle bin too. Actually both belong to the kids nursery just behind my bus stop. Either way I pick up the trash so I don’t have to see it the next day on my way to the bus. I will let you know how my plogging experience goes. Love you! Keep on ploggin’!
So glad to hear that you are plogging too. What a beautiful gift for your neighborhood, city and you!
Sandra, I especially plog when I’m visiting a foreign beach. Every afternoon I spend between 30-60 minutes picking up trash from the beach (I find a lot of cigarette butts – as disgusting as that is) that other vacationers likely left behind. To my mind, I earn my happy hour cocktail this way, it lets me leave the beach better (aka cleaner) than I found it (although I did not litter one iota) and hopefully that foreign nation (often Cuba) will continue to allow us to visit their beautiful beaches if we make a clean-up effort. People look at me like I’m crazy but I don’t care. Last week I was in Positano, walking the Path of the Gods – GOD how I wished I’d brought a bag with me to plog that route!! It needed it. See ya soon chickie!
What a great initiative Helen! Definitely something we should all do. Thanks for your inspiring feedback!