Dallas Environmental Quality & Sustainability and the City of Dallas’ Department of Human Resources Wellness Center hosted the first ever plogging race for City of Dallas employees to usher in Earth Month. What is plogging? Plogging is a combination of jogging and the Swedish word for picking up, plocka upp. Plogging started in Sweden when one man noticed a lot of litter along his jogging route. He started to pick it up while he ran. Soon, his friends and other runners joined in. This became an eco-fitness craze that has found its way to America.
City employees tried out plogging or plalking (walking and picking up litter) at the Trash Bash Litter Dash on April 5, 2019. Racers went from the City Hall Plaza, to the Farmers Market and back, picking up trash and recyclables. Rankings were based on the racer’s time plus how much litter they brought back. Racers collected 85 pounds of litter! Everything was recycled or properly disposed of.
“I had a blast today, made some new friends as well. Also, it was a first for me to enter anything like this,” said Sherrie Lopez who came in first in her division.
This unique event garnered a lot of community support. Other city departments recognized the importance of an event like this and partnered with us. The City of Dallas Transportation Department turned decommissioned Dallas street signs into awards for the winners.
Towfiq Khan, with the 2019 Trash Bash Litter Dash awards made from old street signs.
The Wellness Center and Dallas Environmental Quality & Sustainability would like to thank all the racers, staff and volunteers that made this event possible, plus:
- Promoted Events for the online registration and electronic leaderboard
- DeltaView Timing for the electronic timing chips
- Del Monte Produce
- EarthX for donating water
- DART
- City of Dallas Building Services
- City of Dallas Department of Transportation
- City of Dallas Office of Special Events
- City of Dallas Planning and Urban Design
- City of Dallas Sanitation Services
- City of Dallas Department of Public Works
- City of Dallas Security
- Dallas Marshal’s Office
- Dallas Fire Rescue
- Dallas Water Utilities Defend your Drains
- SPCA of Dallas
There are plogging groups and events in many cities, including Dallas. If you want to participate in a healthy and earth-friendly activity that improves your fitness and removes unsightly litter all at the same time, register for the Trash Dash 5K on May 11, 2019 at https://trashdash5k.com/
