It’s one sport where playing dirty is positively encouraged – and sweeping to victory means a win for the planet as well as the competitors. Born in Japan, spogomi turns the humble act of litter picking into a high-octane contest with a side order of civic pride.
“It’s not just about participants enjoying themselves, it isn’t simply about getting exercise – spogomi has a positive social impact that benefits society at large,” says Spogomi UK representative Chris Roaf. “Ultimately, the real winner is the environment.”
Some 53 million tonnes of plastic waste and 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are discarded on streets and landscapes globally each year. Japanese runner Kenichi Mamitsuka began scooping up some of them on his morning jogs in 2008, and soon hit on the idea of gamifying his public-spirited act to raise awareness of littering.
