On 15 January 2026, 10 participants joined the Plogging and Cleanup Activity with Malta Enterprise in Mellieħa, Malta. Combining physical activity with environmental action, the event introduced Project STELLA through a community clean-up and plogging session, demonstrating how sport can support sustainability awareness and civic engagement. The activity also created a valuable opportunity for environmental professionals, policymakers, and youth-focused organisations to discuss the role of local action, youth participation, and collaboration in shaping a more sustainable future.
Objectives:
- Show how sport (plogging) can be used to promote environmental sustainability.
- Encourage environmental responsibility through a community clean-up.
- Introduce Project STELLA and its goal of using sport for sustainability learning.
- Highlight the importance of youth involvement in environmental decisions.
- Connect environmental professionals, policymakers and youths.
Since participants from Malta Enterprise were environmental experts and policymakers, the event also aimed to link local action with policy-level impact.
Desired Outcomes:
- Increase awareness among Malta Enterprise employees about sport-based sustainability projects.
- Show how youth participation can influence environmental policy.
- Encourage support for youth-led sustainability initiatives.
- Demonstrate that sustainability can be part of everyday activities, including workplace initiatives.
- Promote collaboration between policymakers and youth-focused projects.
Description and Implementation:
The event included:
- A short introduction to Project STELLA.
- A briefing on plogging (jogging while picking up litter).
- A plogging session combined with a community clean-up.
- A reflection session on environmental responsibility, youth participation, and policy impact.
Adaptations from the manual:
- The activity was adapted for professionals rather than youth.
- More focus was given to policy and institutional impact.
- The debrief focused on long-term strategies, not just awareness.
- Local examples were included to make the activity more relevant.
Feedback:
- Plogging made environmental responsibility easy to understand and see in action.
- The activity was simple and easy to repeat.
- Combining exercise with environmental action helped link lifestyle and sustainability.
- Youth involvement is important in shaping environmental policies.
- They were interested in using similar activities in their own work or organisations.
Conclusion and Recommendations:
The event successfully demonstrated how simple sport-based activities like plogging can raise environmental awareness while encouraging active community participation. It also strengthened dialogue between youth-focused initiatives and policymakers, highlighting the value of collaboration in promoting sustainable behaviours and supporting future environmental action. Some recommendations:
- Organise events with both youth and policymakers to encourage dialogue.
- Include short planning sessions to turn ideas into concrete actions.
- Provide follow-up materials for policymakers and environmental agencies.
- Create case studies showing how sport-based projects can inform policy.
