By plogging, runners from the Republic of Moldova celebrate Global Recycling Day!

On 18.03.2023, the runners from the Republic of Moldova were actively involved through plogging activities in the waste cleaning of the Morovaia Gorge in The "Orheiul Vechi" Cultural-Natural Reserve. 

Plogging is an activity that has gained popularity around the world, being a combination of jogging and picking up waste. This activity not only helps the environment, but also provides a great workout for the body. In this article, we'll explore what plogging is, its benefits, and how you can start practicing it. Plogging is a term that appeared in Sweden in 2016 and is a combination of the words "jogging" and "plocka upp", which means "to pick up" in Swedish. The concept is simple: go for a jog or a walk and at the same time pick up the trash from the floor. It's a great way to exercise, enjoy the fresh air and do your bit for the environment.

Plogging has numerous benefits for both the individual and the environment. Here are some of the most important advantages:

1. It's a great workout – Plogging involves running or walking with the added activity of bending, stretching and picking up waste. This extra activity can burn up to 30% more calories than regular jogging, making it a more effective workout.
2. Help the Environment – Plogging helps clean up our streets, parks and beaches, preventing litter from entering our waters and protecting wildlife. It also helps raise awareness of the impact of waste on the environment and encourages people to be more mindful of their waste.
3. It's a social activity – Plogging can be a fun group activity, bringing together like-minded people who want to help protect the environment. It's a great way to meet new people and make new friends while doing something good

In 2023, plogging also reached the Republic of Moldova through the project Run From Plastic launched by AO EcoDigital in partnership with AO Training and Consulting Center "E-CIRCULAR", AO Run Moldova and AO Association of Manufacturers and Importers of Packaging from Moldova (APIAM) with the financial support of the Small Grants Program GEF SGP Moldova, implemented by UNDP.

Roman Bahnaru, president of AO "EcoDigital": "Through this project we want to promote the reduction or even the abandonment of the use of plastic in sports events and will promote Plogging through the slogan "Run from PLASTIC/Run for HEALTH". By promoting the concept of Plogging we will jointly interact to restore the health of the natural ecosystem. Informational materials and Guidelines on how we can organize zero-plastic events with a focus on Refill will be developed, which will be available and accessible to all".

Iulian Bercu, the President of RunMoldova: "Running gives you a special pleasure when you are in nature, either in parks, reserves or simply out of town. In the last seven years, we ran in dozens of locations in the Republic of Moldova and in every kilometer we found dozens of plastic objects, especially in nature reserves, which are supposed to be protected. This year we will combine the useful with the pleasant to the maximum and in our runs we will collect the plastic encountered to make the locations where we train and organize competitions cleaner."