Japan will host the first World Garbage Collection Championship

The sport? is called get marriedwhich is none other than a competition for waste collection. Japan, a pioneer in many issues of respect for cleanliness and order on the streets, will organize the first World Cup for this sports hybrid. It will be in November on the streets of Tokyo.

In reality, the very name they gave to this activity (SpoGomi) derives from the mixture of two names: “sports” and “elbows” (which is Japanese for trash). For what would be a sports mode where teams of 3 to 5 people go head-to-head to try and collect as much trash (yes, as high quality as possible) in a given amount of time, according to the site. gizmode.

A sample of what Japan is an example of respect for cleanliness It is usually seen in mass events in the stadium, where Japanese people can be seen staying after the event to collect the rubbish accumulated in the stadium.

So it’s no surprise that Japan is the first country to host its own world cup in November this year. P20 teams from all over the world will participate walking the streets of Tokyo looking for rubbish to collect.

The SpoGi¡omi regulation provides that each team has 60 minutes to collect the maximum amount of waste from a designated area trying to sort it correctly in color-coded bags for each type (combustible waste, recyclable plastic, metal cans, etc.). Once the time has expired, the judges will evaluate what was collected by weighing the garbage and checking it to classify it correctly. In the end, the team with the most junk wins.

Participants are required to wear heavy-duty cleaning gloves that allow them to pick up virtually “any type of trash without feeling gross,” as well as tongs for picking up trash while standing up. At the start of the competition, everyone must shout “Picking up trash is a sport!” and then go running to the areas assigned to them.

SpoGomi Ambassador and Olympic Swimming Medalist, Takeshi Matsudaexplained the spirit of the game during a press conference in Tokyo: “Picking up garbage can be fun if you turn it into a game to compete. Anyone can participate, regardless of age or gender. We think it’s important to collect garbage in cities because there has been a large increase in the amount of waste in the world’s oceans, so it’s best if we can collect that waste before it ends up in the ocean.”

The competition is supported by large companies in Japan. For example, Fast Retailing Co., which operates Uniqlo clothing stores, will donate $2 million to the event. In addition to encouraging people to keep public spaces clean, it is a tradition in Japan, which has held competitions in the country since 2008, when the SpoGomi, a “clean sport”.