A student at the University of Bristol has set up a running group to collect litter across the city. Vivek Gurav, who is studying for a masters in Environmental Policy, is hoping to build a movement across the city, with people running and litter picking at the same time.
Plogging was invented in Sweden, however Mr Gurav set up the largest single city ‘plogging’ community in his home city of Pune, in India, where there are over 10,000 ‘Pune Ploggers.’ He has said that he wants to build on the successes of the group in Pune, “helping citizens act locally for a global impact.”
In February, he set up a 30-day plogging challenge to collect 4kg of litter daily, while running at least 4km. 12 further volunteers joined him on this challenge, which has spurred him to launch a Bristol Ploggers team, already attracting the interest of 40 people.
Mr Gurav has said that he hopes to inspire a plogging movement around the UK:
“Communities can bring a change in mindset, and this is crucial for a mass awakening towards climate change and to make governments worldwide act now.”
In response to his work, the University of Bristol is providing litter-picking equipment for Mr Gurav and his prospective team.
As policymakers start to pay greater attention to the interconnectivity of mental, physical and environmental health, Mr Gurav’s efforts in India and now in Bristol provide a strong reminder of what can be achieved in this area by effective community mobilisation.