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On Wednesday, October 29, the World Garbage Collection Championships — Spogomi — took place in the Shibuya district of Tokyo, Japan. Estonia was represented by a student team from TTK University of Applied Science, placing 17th among 33 competing nations.
Spogomi is a Japanese initiative launched in 2008 that blends athletic activity with environmental stewardship. The objective is simple: collect and correctly sort as much trash as possible from a designated area within a set time limit.
The Estonian team — Sander Kuusik, Kuldar Põder, and Marleen Petersell — earned their place in the competition by winning the Estonian Spogomi qualifier held on May 1 near Tallinna Linnahall. They were accompanied by Kaie Eha, head of the Environmental Technology and Management curriculum at TTK University of Applied Science and chief organizer of the Estonian qualifier.
“The team did a great job, and the experience was truly invaluable. It was inspiring to see how a small idea has grown into a global movement. It’s been an honor both to help organize the Estonian qualification round and now to be here with the students representing Estonia,” said Kaie Eha.
Eha noted that although Japan is often viewed as exceptionally clean, participants still collected a surprising amount of trash in a relatively small area — medal-winning teams gathered nearly 220 kilograms in total.
The TTK UAS students said they were thrilled to take part in the championship and experience Japan. “Japan seemed clean and well maintained — finding litter wasn’t easy, and we mostly came across it in narrow alleyways between buildings. We also had the opportunity to learn about Japanese waste management practices and see how a new island is forming in Tokyo Bay using landfill.”
Teams from 33 countries took part in the event. Japan claimed first place, Germany placed second, and Morocco finished third.
