Where it comes from
Erik Ahlström moved to Stockholm and was bothered by the litter along his route. He started picking it up as he ran and gave it a name others could copy. The UN Environment Programme describes how plogging groups then spread to more than 40 countries, mostly through social media.
What you need
- Sturdy gloves
- A bag or light sack, and ideally a litter picker
- Somewhere to put what you collect, decided before you set off
What never to pick up
Needles and syringes, broken glass without proper gloves, drums, containers of unknown contents and anything that might be asbestos: leave it, photograph it and report the spot. The same goes for large amounts such as a dumped sofa or building rubble: that is not plogging, it is fly-tipping to report to the council.
Where the bag goes
Do not leave full bags beside a bin unannounced; they can look like dumping in their own right. Take them home, use a bin with room, or arrange collection with the council if you expect to gather a lot.
Make it a group
Most people who pick litter once never do it again. The ones who keep going run with others: a fixed time, the same loop, someone waiting for you.
On CleanSpot you create an event for your plogging run, invite neighbours and friends, and afterwards there is a recap of what you collected. If you find something too big to carry, you report it on the map with photo and coordinates, so the council and everyone else can see it.
Sources
- UNEP — Plogging (2026-10-19)
- Dictionary.com — Plogging (2026-10-19)
- Wikipedia — Plogging (2026-10-19)
What does plogging mean?
It joins the Swedish plocka upp, pick up, with jogging: picking up litter while running. It started in Stockholm in 2016.
Do I need permission?
Not to pick litter in public places. On private land ask the owner, and avoid verges of fast roads.
What do I do with what I collect?
Take it home, use a bin with room, or arrange collection with the council. Do not leave full bags beside bins.