The captain of the UK’s spogomi team, a competitive sport focused on collecting litter, has expressed shock at the extent of the litter problem in the United kingdom. She noted that once one becomes aware of it, the issue becomes overwhelmingly apparent, stating, “We realised we are walking around constantly blind to this litter problem. When you notice it, it’s all you can see. I see it everywhere now, I just constantly see litter. It just opens your eyes to it.”

Comparing the UK to Japan, where the sport originated, she observed a notable difference in cleanliness. “The UK is so much dirtier then Japan because I guess in Japan there is a very altruistic community where people care about their surroundings. They have more respect in their culture than they do in the UK,” she explained.

With this observation in mind, she is keen to see spogomi gain more traction in the UK, believing it can cultivate a greater sense of duty towards the environment among participants. “It’s a shame it’s not a more well-known sport in the UK. I am somebody who didn’t pick up litter before this and it now gets me into a different mindset of how I view litter.That’s what’s really nice about the sport,” she said.

She further elaborated on the sport’s appeal, stating, “what spogomi does is tap into people who aren’t eco-minded, turns it into a game, makes it competitive. I pick up more litter than I did before.”

Offering advice for aspiring spogomi competitors, she emphasized the importance of a serious and competitive approach. “My tips would be: taking it seriously, viewing it as a sport, being competitive and pushing yourself are critically important. If you are dawdling around picking up litter you’re not going to win. Just because it’s litter-picking doesn’t mean you can’t push your body physically,” she advised.