Case study of
#00086 Participatory cleanup movements that mobilise residents
India
#00077
OngoingNational
Implementer
Ripu Daman Bevli / Ploggers of India
Timeline
Since Jan 1, 2016
Location
India22.3511, 78.6677
Description
Litter Free India (Ploggers of India), led by Ripu Daman Bevli, scaled plogging nationally from 2016 by rebranding community cleanup as a fitness activity ('plogging') and running a national 'Plog Run' campaign. Growth was driven by many distributed local events rather than a single central organisation, combined with high-profile endorsements to amplify reach.
Metrics
3Cleanups organised500+
Cities reached80
Participants reached~10 million
Lessons learned
- Rebranding cleanup as a fitness format (plogging) was the core mechanism that unlocked national-scale participation — a replicable framing decision for other contexts.
- Scale was achieved through decentralised, locally organised events rather than a single coordinating body, reducing dependency on central resources.
- High-profile endorsements were deliberately recruited to amplify reach — a specific tactics worth planning into a launch strategy.
Sources
1Documented Jun 26, 2026