This summer, as the Lionesses triumphed at the Euros in Switzerland, hundreds of participants gathered for their own contest at Hackney Marshes, in east London, for their own competition.
But these competitors weren’t playing football; they were litter picking.
Around 60 teams of three people rushed around collecting litter in 45‑minute sessions, sorting their haul over a further 20 minutes under refereed conditions. Competitors are drawn by the sport’s blend of physical challenge, strategy and environmental purpose.
All across the country, groups have been gathering to hold similar events. Britain, it seems, is in the grip of a new environmental pastime: SpoGomi, a Japanese‑born competitive litter‑picking sport, which is rapidly gaining traction across the UK.
Created in 2008 in Japan, SpoGomi combines “sport” with the Japanese word “gomi” (rubbish) and challenges teams to collect and sort litter within strict time limits to earn points for weight and recyclability.
Tomohiro Ohsumi
A team from the UK won the Spogomi World Cup in 2023
Tomohiro Ohsumi
A team sorts through their haul in Japan
The sport made international headlines when the first SpoGomi World Cup took place in Tokyo in November 2023, where the British team The North Will Rise Again claimed victory, collecting 57.27 kg of waste and winning 9,046.1 points.
Spogomi events now take place across the country. Organisers stress that you are not allowed to run, teams must stay within 10 metres of each other and can only collect litter on public space – not from bins, private property or hazardous waste.
Points favour cigarette butts and recyclables, making categorisation as important as collection.
Organisers hope Britain will continue to field national teams at the next World Cup scheduled for Tokyo in 2025, where it is hoped that the team will echo the success of the Lionesses.
AloJapan.com