MAC student and professional Plogga, Bella Thomsson, has come up with a quirky innovative way to raise awareness about the benefits of working towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly lifestyle.

"You’re out there anyway, so why not make it a better place?” That’s the message from Year 13 Mount Aspiring College student Bella Thomsson, who is running a booth at the Festival of Sport and Recreation to educate people about the benefits of plogging.

“Plogging” is a combination of the Swedish words “Plocka” (meaning picking up) and jogging, and encourages people to pick up litter when they are out running. The movement started in Sweden by founder Erik Ahlstrom and has picked up pace as plastic pollution has become an increasingly concerning issue. People are now plogging all over the world in an effort to tackle the consequences that plastic is having on the environment. Their slogan is “Be part of the solution, not the pollution.”

While Bella has been plogging around Wanaka as part of her Students in the Community volunteering hours, she’s noticed certain curiosities and trends. “What I find the most of has to be packaging, for food especially. Takeaway cups and containers that are littered on the beach. But I also find more random things that you wouldn’t expect: once I found a headlight of a car! Even though Wanaka is far from the coast, the plastic around town will find its way to the ocean. When it rains, plastic is swept into the lake and then flows into the Clutha, eventually ending up in the sea, having a profoundly negative impact on marine wildlife.”

“Scientists are now finding plastic particles in the rain and snow that falls down on us. This is just so insane to me because I know that it’s a problem that is so easy to prevent if everyone helps out and changes their habits. Plogging is a great way to combat this issue and make a difference while you are being active and exercising at the same time. And if you don’t like jogging it’s totally cool to walk!”

Bella also thinks that living an eco-friendly lifestyle goes hand in hand with plogging. "Plogging is great because when we dispose of plastic responsibly it doesn’t end up in the ocean. However, I think it is also important to be more mindful when we are consuming, looking for options with minimal plastic and our environmental footprint. Even if we challenge ourselves just one day a week to produce as little plastic waste as possible we are heading in a better direction.”

If you want to know more about plogging, come and see Bella at the Plogging booth at The Festival of Sports and Recreation at the Wanaka Recreational Centre on September 15th.

https://spark.adobe.com/page/i4iKpksF47Qkm/ (plogging website)

#plogga

Photos available on request

For more information contact thommsonb@mtaspiring.school.nz

0278 121212