We all saw the news last Friday when thousands of children went “on strike” for the planet. For years, many people ignored deforestation and the huge amount of rubbish, junk, and plastic waste dumped in our seas and countryside. Now it’s sad that it took the next generation to speak up and demand action. As a Result their concerns led to marches and protests as they pushed the government to declare a climate emergency.
These protests made national headlines because they took place in major towns and cities across the UK. However, this movement is global, with demonstrations in Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, and Australia.
However what doesn’t always reach national news, but spreads quickly across social media, is the effort of small local groups. Furthermore these volunteers work hard to clean their own towns. Here is a great example from my local town, Ashton-under-Lyne, where we are trying to reduce the rubbish and junk that people continue to fly-tip. Adding to more rubbish worries for communities.
‘Ploglution is in the Air’ was the headline and this is their story regarding rubbish.
If you were near Lord Sheldon Way in Ashton on February 3, you didn’t sense a revolution in the air, you sensed Ploglution.
Plogging is a new activity that mixes jogging with picking up litter. It began in London, but it is now growing. After meeting with the council’s Operations and Greenspace Service, Tameside launched the North’s first plogging club, Plogolution.
Members held their first event with support from the Village Hotel in Ashton. Along with bin bags and litter pickers from Operations and Greenspace, almost 30 volunteers took part. They chose either a 2km walk or a 5km run and cleared a large area.
Most of the rubbish they collected was bottles and tins, but they also found a children’s slide, a power washer, a fire extinguisher, and an electric heater. Events like this help reduce rubbish worries while keeping people active and protecting local spaces.
What People Are Saying
Cllr Allison Gwynne, Tameside Council’s executive member for neighbourhoods, said: “I’m very happy to support Ploglution. What they are doing helps us meet two key priorities for the borough.
“By jogging, they help people to stay active and healthy. By picking up litter, they keep streets clean and tidy showing residents the value of caring for their communities and green spaces.
“Ploglution set a great example, and I wish them every success.”
Dermot Kavanagh and Michelle Parkes, the founders of plogging, travelled from London for the February 3 event. It proved so successful that another event will take place on Sunday, March 10.
The club aims to build fit and happy communities that protect the environment for future generations. Plogs help clear rubbish worries by removing litter from streets, rivers, and seas while boosting endorphin levels at the same time.
