When I was younger my mother would always tell me to clean my room, eventually, she stopped and the clothes on the floor piled up and I could barely walk around. It finally came to the point where I couldn’t open my closet door because of the of clothes in front of it. I had to make a decision about the way I wanted to live. Did I want to live in a clean room? Or did I want to live in a dirty one?

Much like my room, our campus is the same way. Litter is all over our grass and sidewalks. We need to decide how we want to live. Do we want a clean and beautiful campus or a cluttered, dirty one?

What began as a Swedish fitness craze has quickly spread to the U.S., Plogging is an eco-friendly fitness craze that combines jogging AND picking up trash!

Here at Campus Rec, we’re plogging the whole month of October (and April) and so should YOU! I decided to head on down to Mackal to pick up some plogging supplies and to see what all the buzz is about. Picking up trash while running was such a positive experience, so I came up with 3 Reasons why YOU should plog!

1.) You’re cleaning our campus! (or your neighborhood… or our beaches!)

Trash is everywhere! There are always going to be those people who “miss” the trashcan or have no regard for where their trash ends up. Here on campus, we have gross trash everywhere. Crunched up beer cans, cigar wrappers, and Juul pods constantly litter our sidewalks and grass areas.

Think of how the trash looks to a prospective student. Would you choose to come to a college with trash everywhere? Or as a student now, do you like avoiding stepping on old pizza boxes while walking to class?

Plogging on campus is a great way to help clean up our campus and make it beautiful. Many of us live on campus (or have in the past). This is our home. It’s important to do our part to ensure a positive future for our campus and our earth!

Campus isn’t the only place you can plog! The beauty of plogging is that it can be done anywhere you enjoy running. Personally, I’m excited to plog at the beach. Narragansett town beach is one of my favorite places to go jogging, and it makes me so upset every time I’m there and I see trash in the sand.

2.) It revamps your workout

Yes, running is a great exercise for your body. It promotes heart health, strong bones and helps you stay fit. But can its purpose be MORE than the physical effects it has on our bodies?

Since plogging involves so much stopping, starting and squatting don’t be surprised when you’re feeling a little more worn out than usual after your typical running loop.

Plogging also allows for your exercise to have a deeper meaning and a new purpose. Not only are you running so that you get your 10,000 steps in for the day but so you can help make an impact on our planet. This planet is our home, why would we want to destroy it with litter?

3.) It involves very little equipment

All you need to plog is a bag, gloves and running shoes! Here at URI you can pick up plogging bags and gloves at either Mackal or Anna Fascitelli!

Once you are ready to throw your bag away you can put it in any trash receptacle. Then, bring your gloves back to either gym so we can wash and reuse them!

If you’re plogging from home you can use any trash bag (I suggest grocery store plastic bags) and any gloves of your choice.

Make sure to snap a picture of yourself or your group while you’re plogging on campus and tag us at #ploggingURI. Our 100% biodegradable trash bags are courtesy of URI Sustainability & URI Facilities Services supplied us with our reusable gloves!

Caught the de-litter bug yet?

After plogging I immediately felt this sense of accomplishment and pride for helping clean up campus. In fact, I’ve found myself picking up trash everywhere I go now! And let me tell you, it feels GREAT.

Will I plog again? Yes, but not every time I go for a run. Usually, I time my runs. Plogging would make that difficult because of all the stopping. But, it is something I will definitely be doing when I go out for a leisurely jog or walk!

YOU can make a difference by plogging! Every piece of trash picked up helps make our earth cleaner. So why not help start a chain reaction and start plogging today?

Make sure you head over to Fascitelli or Mackal to pick up your plogging supplies today!

Have you been plogging yet? Share your experience in the comments below!

Coming Soon!

There will be a CAMPUS CLEAN UP this Sunday, October 21st! Join us on the quad at 12pm for FREE food, drinks, yoga, and plogging! Sign up is not required so head on up with your friends for a fun afternoon!

Intramural Fall 2 Sports registration is from Oct 17-30th, offered sports include indoor soccer, floor hockey, 3v3 basketball, volleyball, and billiards!

See ya next week!
-Leah