eSPOGOMI is a social activity in which people enjoy achieving SDGs. It is a combination of eSports and “SPO GOMI,” a social activity that adds the essence of sport to community cleanup. The initiative Yokohama OneMM began the movement of eSPOGOMI in Yokohama in April 2021.
eSPOGOMI is a team competition for trash pickup divided into two halves. During the halftime, PC games in which multiple people can participate are held. Depending on the game results, participants can win items to help their second half of the trash pickup. The staff members entertain the game with amusing gameplay so that people who are not unfamiliar with the game can enjoy the whole event. The amount and kind of trash determine the final result.
People are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious about reducing waste and recycling resources to realize a decarbonized society and sustain the earth. On the other hand, eSports is also attracting a remarkable increase in the public interest, as the domestic market size is expected to reach 9.1 billion yen by 2022, according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in Japan (2020). eSPOGOMI creates opportunities to enjoy cleaning up a community as well as enjoying playing games with friends and neighbors. This is one of the good ways to connect hobbies and pastimes to social contribution and realize sustainable city development and partnerships.