Participating in plogging as an eco-friendly physical activity: Motivations and reasons

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to identify the motivations of those participating in plogging. This growing eco-friendly physical activity started as an organised activity in Sweden around 2016 and spread to other countries in 2018. The unique feature of plogging is the combination of two significant concerns in the modern world: physical activity and environmental care. An exploratory study using content analysis was conducted. Seventeen ploggers from seven countries were interviewed via virtual spaces. The content analysis identified 497 codes, 34 Sub-themes, and five major themes from these in-depth interviews. Environmental, physical activity, social, psychological, and personal values were found to be the most prominent themes describing the motivation of ploggers to participate in the activity. This study seeks to identify motivations for plogging as an eco-friendly physical activity. Moreover, this study's motivational framework and the baseline data on plogging as a viable physical activity within an environmental care context advocate an agenda for future research on integrating physical activity and environmental initiatives.