Skip to content

‘Plogging’ pitched in Surrey as one way to keep the city clean

With roots in Sweden, the activity combines jogging/walking and picking up trash
25220764_web1_210527-SUL-PloggingSurrey-m_1
“Ploggers” in action, in a photo submitted by City of Surrey.

Ever gone “plogging”?

The City of Surrey hopes residents here will, as part of its current Love Where You Live cleanup campaign.

Plogging is an activity that combines jogging or walking and picking up litter, with roots in Sweden.

Over in Europe, it’s become an increasingly popular way to stay fit and while keeping neighbourhoods clean.

Plogging is a great activity for residents of all ages to take part in, according to Councillor Laurie Guerra, chair of the Parks, Recreation and Culture Committee.

“Residents can clean up their favourite running trail or city street, while getting exercise,” Guerra says in a news release. “I believe this is a trend that could catch on here in Surrey, where we know our residents have tremendous civic pride and are eager to give back to their community.”

• RELATED STORY: Earth Day kickoff for Surrey’s ‘Love Where You Live’ beautification campaign.

Surrey’s Love Where You Live campaign kicked off on Earth Day, April 22. The 2021 initiative “encourages the community to come together to keep the city clean and welcoming, by participating in beautification and cleanup challenges throughout the summer.”

Initiatives include a 20-Minute Cleanup Challenge, cleanup registration drives, large-item pickup service, Adopt A Street program and more. Details are posted to surrey.ca/lovewhereyoulive.

The city launched its first Love Where You Live campaign in 2019. According to staff, within six months 5,000 bags of trash were removed from Surrey’s streets and parks, 4,400 pieces of illegally dumped junk were collected from all over the city, 1,000 tonnes was collected at Pop-Up Junk Events and 600 pounds of waste was swapped.

Meanwhile, 13,00o trees and some 1,000 flower bulbs were planted, 1,700 street banners and 2,000 feet of decorative lights were installed and more than 650 bags of invasive plants were removed. Last year, city staff cleaned up more than 208 kilometres of Surrey roadways, picking up 2,000 bags of litre, and also removed garbage that was dumped illegally at 7,459 sites throughout the city. Also, more than 10,000 trees and flower bulbs were planned through the Bulbs for Beauty and Releaf planting programs.

with files from Tom Zytaruk



Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news stories for the Surrey Now-Leader, where I've worked for more than half of my 30-plus years in the newspaper business.
Read more