Plogging

((PKG)) PLOGGING
((Banner: Plogging))
((Reporter: Faiza Elmasry))
_{((Camera: Adam Greenbaum, Mike Burke))
((Adapted by: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: Washington, D.C.))
((NATS))
((Jeff Horowitz, Plogger, Personal Trainer))
This is just my personal ethic, where I would go for a run, and if I happen to see a piece of garbage laying around and it was within my reach, it was a kind of a little test of mine to see if I can grab it and throw it in a nearby trash can without stopping. And then I come to find out, this has actually become an international movement, that there are people all around the world now doing this. As I understand, the name ‘Plogging’ originated in Sweden, using their language to combine picking up with jogging, and you get plogging, I guess. And, it’s picked up now throughout the country and again around the world. Less of a sport than really just an approach to socialize with other people in a very positive, healthy way.
((NATS))
((Dana Allen, Plogger, Sports Event Organizer))
I wouldn't say I do it all the time. Sometimes we get groups together on a Saturday or Sunday. We go for a run, we’ll pick up some garbage, then we’ll actually go for brunch after and we’ll kind of make a little bit of an event of it.
((NATS))
((Jeff Horowitz, Plogger, Personal Trainer))
You can't just suddenly bend over in front of someone else. It’d become like a three stooges event and everyone would fall over. You want to make sure that you, kind of, cover a little bit different territory. People kind of naturally fall into that role. So, if I'm a little bit more to the curb side, I'll look towards the gutter and someone else a little bit closer to the hedges, they fall into picking up there. So, you get a rhythm going between people.
((NATS))
((Jeff Horowitz, Plogger, Personal Trainer))
We usually start with doing some body weight squats, some calisthenics, some balance work. Gloves are important. You want to make sure that this is going to be healthy for you. Even if you have good intentions, you never know what you’ll find. There might be broken glass, medical waste.
((Azell Washington, Plogger))
Big piece. Big piece. I feel much better. I am rewarded myself, and then I'm looking out for everybody else that's going to be running in these streets as long as I will.
((NATS))
((Dana Allen, Blogger, Sports Even Organizer))
I would just hope people would think twice before dropping their garbage on the ground. We have receptacles, seems like every block. So, it's easy to put your garbage in the trash, in the trashcans. I just think people should think about it a little bit more and be cognizant of, you know, keeping the city as beautiful as possible.
((NATS))
((Jeff Horowitz, Plogger, Personal Trainer))
We didn't change the world, but we made it just a little bit better than it was.
((NATS))}