Don’t just walk the walk — plalk the plalk

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/04/2019 (2522 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Fancy a plog? How about a plalk?

If your response was a resounding “Huh?” allow us: “plalking” is a growing fitness trend that combines walking with picking up trash. That’s it. “Plogging,” meanwhile, originates in Sweden and is a little more advanced. It’s a portmanteau of jogging and the Swedish phrase “plocka upp,” or “pick up” — and yes, it does sound like a euphemism for a different activity entirely.

Our minds are not the only things we should retrieve from the gutter. When the snow melts in Winnipeg, it reveals all manner of detritus — Slurpee cups, pop bottles, rims that have been rolled, an alarming number of socks. Receipts and chip bags get caught in hedges; plastic bottle caps stud our boulevards. Things blow out of garbage cans or never make it into one in the first place.

Not only is plalking a novel solution to our city’s post-winter litter blues, it’s the ultimate in multi-tasking. It allows individuals to work on twin problems ailing society simultaneously: our general lack of physical movement during the day, and the declining health of our planet.

Need more convincing? David Sedaris does it. The bestselling American humorist and essayist is an early adopter of plalking, spending anywhere from three to eight hours per day — roughly 25,000 steps — picking up litter around his adopted home of West Sussex, England. His community even named a garbage truck after him: “Pig Pen Sedaris.”

As Mr. Sedaris himself has pointed out many times, those who walk by garbage every day and do nothing about it are just as culpable as those who put it there in the first place. We are all responsible for where we live, and it’s hard to feel pride in your neighbourhood if it looks like a Dumpster. Trash lining our streets and parks — including many items, such as single-use containers and packaging, that are symptoms of our society’s lingering addiction to convenience — should be a pretty hard problem to ignore, yet ignore it we do.

Plalking can be a self-directed activity, of course — just remember to arm yourself with a thick pair of gloves and a trash bag — but it can also be a community-building activity.

To that end, Take Pride Winnipeg and the Reh-Fit Centre have partnered on the Heart Winnipeg Plalking Club, which will meet every Saturday throughout the spring and summer months. The club will meet at a different location each week, spreading the beautification around town. Anyone can participate and supplies will be provided.

Many neighbourhood BIZ associations also have local cleanup days scheduled over the next few weeks; takepride.mb.ca has a full list.

Of course, it’s also the City of Winnipeg’s responsibility to ensure city garbage bins are emptied and maintained. Residents should report overflowing or tipped-over bins to 311. Residents can also make requests for more bins, as well. If you find a needle, you can usually safely dispose of it yourself — using gloves, pick it up, place it in a sturdy plastic container with a lid and throw it in the garbage, not recycling. If you need help, call 311 for public property or Street Connections for private property.

Plalking serves as an important reminder on this Earth Day that small, easy actions can add up. And who knows? You might just get a garbage truck named after you.