The Adidas Run for Oceans initiative on the Runtastic app is donating 1$ to Parley Ocean Schools for every kilometre covered, from June 8th to the 16th. The funds will be utilized to help young people make long-term behavioural changes to minimise the use of plastic. Mumbai got a headstart, with runners coming together on June 8th at Versova Beach to participate in the worldwide Run for the Oceans campaign. Participants ran for 3 kilometres and then joined in the beach clean-up drive. This campaign has united over a million runners worldwide.

In Delhi, to do your bit, you can head to India Gate this weekend to take part in a plogging session, which, plogger Abhimanyu Chakravorty describes as, “Quite simply jogging and picking up litter.” The event is in collaboration with Adidas, so not only will participants contribute to the Run for Oceans initiative, they’ll also learn about recycling and waste segregation.

For instance I learnt that the best weapon against the plastic menace is awareness of what happens to the plastic we use. Did you know that most PET bottles are recycled because rag pickers collect them in exchange for money? And that with India’s limited recycling infrastructure recycling of dirty plastics like sanitary pads and diapers is not economically viable? It’s the same with multi-layer plastics like packets of gutka and chips.

The less plastic we use, the less plastic makes its way to our oceans and our bodies. If you must use plastic make the sustainable choice to recycle (don’t dump it in the garbage). Much like exercise, this too requires consistent commitment. If we don’t change our habits now, there will be more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050, warns the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (Dame MacArthur has been the fastest solo sailor to circumnavigate the globe). The organisation released a report at the World Economic Forum, last week that also said new plastics would consume 20% of oil production in the future.

Already micro-plastics are being found in our food, water and air. No wonder then, that a very recent study in the journal Environmental Science & Technology found that humans may be consuming anywhere from 39,000 to 52,000 micro-plastic particles a year. If we add to that the estimated micro-plastic that might be inhaled, the number is more than 74,000. It’s easy to stay consistent with plogging, to reach your health goal or expand your green footprint. The robust plogging community is welcoming to all. Look up PloggaIndia on social media to join. They work closely with rag pickers and the New Delhi Municipal Corporation to discard the trash collected. A typical plogging drive runs for about an hour or so. Jute bags are used to segregate and collect the trash. And yes, you’ll get reusable gloves to wear.

Join the plogging drive on June 15th 2019, at 5:45 a.m. at India Gate