Team U.K. Wins Inaugural Litter-Picking SpoGomi World Cup, Host Japan Finishes Second (1)

A trio from the United Kingdom has taken home the first-ever SpoGomi World Cup by picking up the most trash from the streets of Tokyo, with host nation Japan finishing second.

In the quest for the inaugural world title, 21 three-member teams, selected through qualifying rounds held earlier this year around the globe, took to the streets of Shibuya and Omotesando in central Tokyo, diligently combing through urban spaces to collect litter.

“SpoGomi”, the conflation of an abbreviation of "sport" with the Japanese word for trash ("gomi"), was invented in Japan in 2008 as a competition to encourage people to clean up public spaces.

By organizing the SpoGomi World Cup, The Nippon Foundation’s aim is to promote the sport internationally, raise awareness of the problem of litter, especially marine litter, 80% of which is generated on land, and provide a platform for those motivated to take action across national boundaries and generations.

The World Cup competition comprised morning and afternoon sessions, with 45 minutes for collecting trash and 20 minutes for sorting it. Points were awarded based on the volume and type of trash collected, with the team receiving the most points declared the winner.

The U.K. team, The North Will Rise Again, clinched the inaugural world title by accumulating 9,048.1 points for collecting 83.70 kilograms of rubbish.

The host nation representatives, dubbed Smile Story, came in second place by earning 6,154.4 points for the 55.50 kilograms they collected. SpoGhetti Team from Italy finished third with 6,082.7 points for 44.05 kilograms.

(To be continued)