Plogging is a Swedish term for picking up litter while jogging, a new effort in environmental conservation. Pune Ploggers was founded by Vivek Gaurav in 2019. It adopts the Swedish term for picking up litter while jogging –– and is one of the world’s largest community-plogging campaigns. Initially a grassroots-level movement, plogging is gaining traction as more people have started recognising its work. It is a volunteer-oriented organisation, taking volunteers who are interested in the campaigns that take place across various areas. In Pune, the city’s ploggers have reportedly organised over 300 cleanup drives around Pune. Volunteer Experiences I spoke to various volunteers present at a cleanup drive that took place on FC Road, Pune, on 8 September. They told me that they had gathered to make their contribution towards betterment of society. Around 70 people turned up, of whom 50 were regular volunteers – with the volunteers ranging from school children to elderly people. They began plogging at 7:30 am and it went on till 9 am. I got in touch with Prafull, a campaign organizer who has been a part of the Pune Ploggers for two and a half years and has regularly been organizing weekly campaigns. He joined after the founder moved to Bristol for his further studies. I asked Prafull about his experiences in the organisation. How long does it take to organise a campaign? The process starts with making a poster for the drive, with the help of our Social media and Graphics Team. The poster is uploaded on our social media accounts on Wednesday or Thursday. Then we purchase biodegradable plastic bags (they are used during monsoon; usually, we use clothbags) and have reusable gloves, distributed at the drive. The process starts on Wednesday and ends on Sunday. What did you hear about Pune Ploggers that made you approach this organisation? The word plogging itself is what attracted me towards the activity. When I searched the word online, I found out that plogging means picking up trash while jogging. The concept made me want to join the group. How much waste did you collect off the road at the end of this campaign? We collected 27 bags of plastic, and 4 bags of glass bottles. How has your experience been as an organiser? I have been organising all the cleanup drives for the last 1.5 years. Organising a drive for more than 100 people every weekend helps you grow, so my experience has been wonderful. The Pune Ploggers’ growing popularity in cities worldwide has helped highlight the problem of littering in public places. Through these campaigns, the organisation and its volunteers hope to instil that even the smallest steps can lead to significant changes.
10 Oct 2022
Aditi Iyer
