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Serbia: Ploggers take on the country's growing waste problem

Luka Stokic in Belgrade
June 23, 2026

Plogging originated in Scandinavia and combines jogging with picking up litter. Volunteers in Serbia are using the activity to help tackle years of accumulated waste caused by inadequate management.

https://p.dw.com/p/5Ftdl

What began in Scandinavia as a combination of jogging and environmental activism is gaining traction over a thousand kilometers to the south in Serbia. 

Armed with gloves, trash bags and litter pickers, a group of eager "ploggers" have decided to combine exercise with picking up litter. 

One of them, Slobodan Smiljanic, came second in the World Plogging Championships in Italy two years ago. 

Plogging may sound like fun, but in Serbia, the issue of waste management is a very serious one: More than 3,000 illegal dumping sites across the country, landfill fires and poor waste management pose a threat to both public health and the environment.

Headshot of a smiling man (Luka Stokic) with short brown hair and glasses
Luka Stokic Contributor from Serbia, weather forecast presenter, journalist, reporter