'Ploggers' visit Yorkshire during incredible 360kg litter-picking tour of UK

An Indian environmentalist and a team of volunteers picked up 360kg of rubbish during a 30-day, 30-city ‘plogging’ tour of the UK – including Yorkshire cities.
By PA Reporter
Published 7th Jan 2023, 06:00 BST

Vivek Gurav wanted to spread awareness of plogging – that’s litter picking and jogging – and help others start their own plogging groups.

The 26-year-old began plogging in his home city of Pune in 2018, and did not want to stop when he left his home for the first time in September 2021, to take up a University of Bristol scholarship.

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In December, he decided to take the show on the road, visiting 30 cities in 30 days.

Vivek Gurav (middle-right) with a group of volunteers during his plogging tour of the UK. Issue date: Friday January 6, 2023.Vivek Gurav (middle-right) with a group of volunteers during his plogging tour of the UK. Issue date: Friday January 6, 2023.
Vivek Gurav (middle-right) with a group of volunteers during his plogging tour of the UK. Issue date: Friday January 6, 2023.

Along the way, more than 250 local volunteers joined him, helping to collect 360kg of litter, in cities including Wolverhampton, Manchester, Stoke, Leeds, Liverpool, Lincoln and London.

“It was a great experience and it was really nice to have so many people come out and support,” Mr Gurav said.

“It feels fantastic to have seen almost all the major cities in the UK in the shortest span while also doing something I love.

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“I see many projects coming this year through the communities I was able to reach out to in this journey.

“I have already started seeing local litter picking groups boosted with volunteer engagement seeing the wide coverage of my tour. It’s really amazing.”

Over the past four years, his volunteers in India have collected more than 1,000 tonnes of litter and he has won an award from then Prime Minister Boris Johnson and recently spoke at the COY17 conference – the youth version of COP27.

The former app developer graduated from his master’s in November and he is now working for an environmental consultancy while continuing his plogging missions.

He plans to use the skills he has learnt in the UK to help make India more sustainable.

Related topics:YorkshireBoris JohnsonStokeLincolnLeedsLondon