'Ploggers' keeping China's great outdoors clean, pristine

New lifestyle boom

The rise of plogging is closely tied to China's rapidly expanding outdoor culture, one of the country's fastest-growing lifestyle trends.

According to the China Outdoor Sports Industry Development Report (2024-2025), released by the General Administration of Sport of China in October 2025, the number of outdoor sports participants nationwide surpassed 400 million by early April 2025.

The boom is also being shaped by national policy.

In January 2025, China unveiled guidelines on building high-quality outdoor sports destinations, emphasizing that the expansion of outdoor recreation should balance development with environmental protection and promote harmonious coexistence between sporting activities and the natural environment.

The guidelines call for integrating environmental principles into outdoor experiences, strengthening ecological awareness among participants and promoting green practices in sporting events.

Industry observers have said China's outdoor community is entering a more mature stage. Beyond conquering summits or sharing scenic photos online, participants are paying greater attention to concepts such as those pioneered by the Leave No Trace organization, which encourages environmental stewardship and responsible outdoor recreation.

The shift is also reshaping sporting events. Many trail-running competitions now encourage athletes to carry reusable cups to reduce waste. In 2025, Xterra and the Chinese Mountaineering Association jointly published China's first Mountain Outdoor Sports Environmental Protection Guidelines, helping establish standards for environmentally responsible outdoor activities.

Against this backdrop, mountain cleanups, beach cleanups and lake conservation events have become increasingly common across the country.