Montgomery County PLOGGING Challenge!

What is plogging?? It started as a fitness trend in Sweden! People organized picking up trash while jogging to better enjoy their route. They would post photos of them jogging and picking up trash to challenge others to do the same! The term “Plogging” is a combination of two Swedish words: “plocka upp” (to pick up) and “jogga” (to jog). The trend became popular on social media with everyone posting their photos and using #plogging.

Register to start plogging here: https://mcgmd.wufoo.com/forms/z1gg88gj1022d05/

Let’s Keep Plogging! #MontgomeryPlogs #PloggingChallenge

Do you plog? Plogging entails jogging/walking and quickly stopping to pick up trash while you go. MC Energy Connections launched #MontgomeryPlogs last year to encourage people to pick up trash on their normal walking/jogging route. The Plogging Challenge is a fun engaging way to raise awareness about stormwater pollution while providing Montgomery County residents the opportunity to take action and help with stormwater pollution prevention by cleaning up litter from streams, stormwater ponds, etc.

We are continuing the #PloggingChallenge! We want everyone in Montgomery County to keep plogging, or start if you haven’t joined us yet! Plogging is easy, many people realized they have been plogging for a long time already. We are all making a difference in reducing trash pollution together by plogging in our local neighborhoods.

How to Participate 

Sign up for the #MontgomeryPlogs #Challenge here: https://mcgmd.wufoo.com/forms/z1gg88gj1022d05/

Please follow instructions provided during registration to report cleanup data!

Participants can join the #PloggingChallenge on social media by taking a picture of yourself Plogging in Montgomery County and either tag our Instagram account @mygreenmc or use our hashtag #MontgomeryPlogs on Instagram.

SSL HOURS!!!

Students CAN earn SSL hours! Students will be eligible to earn 1 SSL hour per day, per bag of trash picked up. Registration is required. SSL hour forms are sent to volunteers once a month at the end of the month with the total hours reported by that date.

See our volunteer opportunity on the Montgomery County Volunteer website: https://montgomerycountymd.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=575110

Suggestions and Recommendations

If you want to be even more environmentally ambitious, separate clean recyclables, such as plastic beverage bottles, and drop them in your recycling bin. You will not only be improving your own health, but your local community’s health and appearance too.

Ploggers at Parks, please locate a Montgomery Parks/M-NCPPC trash bin before plogging for easy trash disposal. If there is no trash bin available, dispose of it at home or another public canister. Keep park boundaries in mind.

Ploggers at Parks must adhere to safety guidelines. Stay at least an arms-length away from any creek, stream, or water body. Cleaning up at log jams is strictly prohibited.

If any suspicious items are found in parks, call the Park Police at 301-949-3010.

If not in a park, Ploggers often dispose of trash in their own trash can at home, or a public bin along their route, because usually you will not fill an entire trash or recycling bag while plogging, so it will not take up too much space in a trash bin. However, if you come across a particularly large amount of trash, the County will pick it up for free within 48 hours if you call it into 311. Details for scheduling a pick up will be given to ploggers who sign up.