The act of picking up trash while jogging (called by the catchy “plogging” which is derived from the Swedish for “plockaupp” or “pick up”) is a trend that took off in Sweden in 2016 and has gained popularity throughout the world.
Here in the Czech Republic, the movement is gaining momentum with the debut of Trash Hero Czech Republic, a plogging outfit that has gone from 20 to 85,000 volunteers throughout the Czech Republic in just two years
So far members of the Trash Hero Praha have picked up over 15,300 kg of trash in forty sessions devoting to running and collecting litter, giving workouts an added dimension and returning rubbish to its rightful place: recycling containers and bins.
Trash Hero Praha isn’t the only garbage-getting collective in country; with a wide following on social media, chapters have opened in cities throughout the Czech Republic including in Brno and Liberec (see the larger Trash Hero Czech Republic page for information on other cities).
For those who want to join a plogging session in the Czech capital, a series of spring clean-up events are taking place in Prague from late March through the end of April. (March 31, April 6, and April 28).
Or go it on your own: grab an older backpack into which you put a plastic bag. Put on some gloves — gloves suitable for gardening or rubber gloves are suggested — and get plogging.
Divoká Šárka nature reserve is a plogging hotspot, though trash-strewn locations in Prague are not hard to find.