There's nothing like an event with a silly name to get the ball rolling this year! COC is collaborating with Net Impact Montreal to collect only the best plogging crew to help clean up Parc Laurier.
Plogging is a combination of jogging and picking up litter. Some say it's used for fitness, but you can help clear up the park, get to know people, and start making Fall 2021 your best semester yet. Whether you walk, jog, or full-on sprint to pick up those old Boustan takeout boxes and McDonald's cups, the planet (and COC) will thank you!
Our first sustainability event is Saturday, August 28th, at 10am. The only things you need to bring are a pair of gloves, a water bottle, and yourself! If you missed it, stay up-to-date with our socials for more events in the future. And if you're still a little confused about what plogging is, read more about it below.
History of Plogging
Plogging was started by a Swedish guy named Erik Ahlström when he started picking up trash on his runs in Stockholm. This was in 2016, and since then, Ahlström's sport has gone worldwide. If you're already going out for a jog, why not plog while you're at it?
The word "plogging" actually comes from two Swedish words: plocka upp ("pick up") and jogga ("jog"). Since the words are so similar to their English translations, plogging quickly got picked up (pun intended) in the UK and North America.
If you want to know more about plogging from the source, here's a video from Sweden's YouTube channel (yes, the country of Sweden has a YouTube channel).
Plogging Fun Facts (AKA Statistics)
In Pune, India, there's a plogging community called Pune Ploggers that have picked up over 40,000 kilos of litter since their founding—and that's only one group.
If you want to get some exercise, you should go plogging. Plogging actually burns more calories than regular jogging!
David Sedaris, one of the most popular humour writers today, plogs about 60,000 steps a day. For reference, that equals about 45km, which is more than a literal marathon.
Plogging makes a great Earth Day activity! The New York Road Runners started the tradition in 2019 and the event has been going on every year ever since.
Even the Indian Prime Minister has been plogging. If he can do it, so can you.
If you want to go plogging with our crew, be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram for more upcoming events! Even if you missed our first installment, we'll be helping out with more plogging meetups throughout the year. Hope to see you there! #GetDirty and #GetYourPlogOn!