In recent years, many urban Chinese who run to maintain a healthy lifestyle have complained about the abundance of plastic trash on city streets.

In response, some focused on zero-waste lifestyles by recycling and reducing their use of packaging, while others adopted new ways of spicing up their workouts.

In February, Swiss national Celina Eisenring asked her Hungarian friend Katalin Sogor, "Why not pick up trash while we run? We can have fun together while doing our bit to tackle the waste problem."

That was the start of Trash Running China.

The two women, who regard Shanghai as their home, started by setting up a WeChat group for a few friends in March. Word spread quickly and their number soared to about 250 within a few months.

Yuan Dawei, 41, who took up marathon running three years ago, described plogging as "a very interesting idea" that can help the environment.

"As an experienced runner, this type of activity is quite easy for me, but it's also meaningful," he said.

In addition to its regular Wednesday night runs, the group organizes monthly trips to the suburbs or mountain trails for longer workouts.

Having held events in cities such as Suzhou, Jiangsu province, and Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, Trash Running China now aims to spread across the country.

In June, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China organized a volunteer plogging event in 280 places nationwide, from megacities such as Beijing and Shanghai to villages on the plateaus and grasslands. More than 13,000 people took part.

Yang Yang, a volunteer from Huanggang, Hubei province, who is a regular treadmill runner, did not hesitate to sign up, even though it was the first time she had heard of plogging.

"When I saw the advertisement, I realized I could not only enjoy a run but also do something for the environment, so I thought 'Why not?'"

She recalled that the event took place on a sweltering day, and many local people were relaxing or walking in the park when her plogging group arrived and started picking up trash. While some passers-by stared at the "strange" activity or took photos, others were motivated to join in.

"I was amazed to discover that other regular joggers were also picking up cigarette ends and wastepaper as they ran. They had obviously done it before. I believe this kind of running can only become more popular," she said.