Participatory cleanup movements that mobilise residents — Stockholm, Sweden

Location

Stockholm, Sweden59.3293, 18.0686

Description

Plogging was coined in Sweden around 2016 by Erik Ahlström after he noticed litter accumulating on his commute. He combined jogging with picking up litter, giving the activity a memorable name ('plogga' in Swedish). The movement spread globally via social media without top-down coordination or dedicated funding. The organisation 'Plogga' grew from this grassroots origin. Replicators can launch locally by simply encouraging existing running groups to carry a bag and pick up litter — no event infrastructure or budget is required.

Metrics

2

Estimated daily participants worldwide~2 millionpeople

Countries with activity100+countries

Lessons learned

Attaching cleanup to an existing daily routine (jogging) lowers the barrier to participation — no dedicated event is needed.
The movement spread organically through social media and a memorable name rather than through top-down funding, suggesting that branding and shareability are key enablers for zero-budget scaling.

Sources

2

Documented Jun 26, 2026

Arnaud Gissinger