Plant-based milk alternative brand Silk has launched a Change.org petition asking the Los Angeles Organizing Committee to consider plogging in its proposal of events to the Olympic Programme Commission.
Plogging originated in Sweden in 2016, according to Silk, and it combines the benefits of exercise while making the planet healthier. It can be done while walking, jogging, running or hiking.
Plogging enthusiasts tout its benefits because it incorporates bending, squatting and stretching from the trash pickup, intensifying the workout. While it is not an official sport, it is gaining popularity around the world. Teams and meetups are often organized in major cities, and environmental groups have endorsed it.
Re-imagining a green Olympics
Silk’s Change.org petition encouraging Los Angeles to consider plogging for the 2028 Olympics is aiming to reach 25,000 signatures. The company believes it would be a good fit for LA 2028, a Games attempting to “re-imagine the role of a host city” through sustainability.
LA, which has already hosted the Olympics twice, intends to upgrade and utilize its existing facilities, rather than rebuilding everything from scratch. In its initial pitch to be chosen as a host city, LA drafted plans to be the first energy positive Games, and committed to recycling, reusing or composting more than 90% of waste generated by the Games.
It also hopes for 100% water accountability, a 75% reduction in ozone pollution and overall fiscal, social and environmental responsibility.
David Robinson, Senior Brand Manager for Silk, said, “While bidding for the 2028 Games, the Los Angeles Organizing Committee introduced a bold vision to create the most sustainable Games in modern history, and we at Silk believe adding plogging as an official event would symbolize meaningful progress toward that important goal.”
“As part of the B Corp Movement, Silk is devoting its voice during Earth Month to increasing awareness of plogging and creating a groundswell of public support for its inclusion in the 2028 Summer Games.”
Silk’s environmental work extends to the production of its own products. It said that producing a half gallon of Silk takes 80% less water than a half gallon of dairy milk. It also supports a groundwater recharge program in California, and partners with Change the Course to help preserve the ecological health of the Colorado River basin.
In packaging plans, Silk is working toward using paperboard for its cartons that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and the Rainforest Alliance. The brand’s cartons are already recyclable, as are its bottles and cups for yogurt alternatives.
