Successful waste challenge in Girardot

A commitment to the University, the municipality, and the environment was the driving force behind the Girardot campus university community's Plogging Challenge, held on May 20th between 6:30 am and 10:00 am. Eighty people participated, accompanied by environmental brigade members and the environmental police, among others. "We covered a total of seven kilometers along the Agua Blanca trail, through a well-known area called El Arbolito, following a path near a stream," explained Andrés Godoy, a professor in the Business Administration program.

The idea, which originated in the University Social Interaction (ISU) program of the Business Administration department, soon spread to other areas. “People from the nursing, environmental engineering, hospitality and tourism programs also participated, along with those from the administrative area, who collected plastic and paper along the seven-kilometer route.”.

This activity also has a purpose: to raise awareness among citizens. “We want people who pass through that area not to throw away trash, but rather to keep it and then dispose of it properly.”.

It is worth highlighting that the sporting event was led by: Dr. Juan Carlos Méndez, director of the branch, Juan Godoy, Sandy Bello, Hector Cruz, Nieves Ávila, the administrative director, Rossana Serrano from the Environmental Management System, Nicolás Lugo from the occupational health and safety management system (SGST) and Yina Caicedo from University Welfare, the community action board of the sector and the public services company Ser Ambiental.

For Jeffeson Trujillo, a ninth-grade student in the Business Administration program, “these types of activities are key because they help us raise awareness about caring for the environment and the importance of recycling at home and everywhere we go.”.

She also highlighted the dedication of everyone who participated in the activity. “People collaborated tremendously, the public services company provided us with bags, and the director, Juan Carlos Méndez, was someone who constantly motivated us while also recycling himself.”.

It's worth mentioning that the word plogging comes from the Swedish language. plocka upp The term "jogging" comes from the English word "jogging." The creator of this discipline was the Swede Erik Ahlstrom, who, after leaving his hometown in 2016 and moving to Stockholm, began by cleaning up the areas where he practiced running. This practice spread throughout the country, and today, thanks to the development of social media, it is a global phenomenon involving 20,000 people a day in 100 countries.

In this way, UCundinamarca contributes to the mitigation of climate change as a necessity that is in accordance with Sustainable Development Goals which are part of its environmental policy.

More news from the Girardot branch at the News Agency