Japan has achieved a historic milestone by hosting the world's first championship dedicated to the sport of garbage collection. In a competition that saw the participation of 21 countries, contenders navigated the streets of Tokyo in search of discarded items such as empty cans, plastic fragments, and cigarettes. The coveted World Cup title was clinched by Britain, emerging victorious in the competition.

Teams from diverse nations, including the United States, Australia, and France, collectively gathered an impressive 548 kilograms of trash. Armed with gloves, metal tongs, and trash bags, each team, comprised of three players, earned points based on the quantity and types of waste they successfully collected.

Strict guidelines prohibited the collection of trash on private property, and participants were allocated 20 minutes after each session to categorize the gathered items. Classifications included burnable waste, recyclable plastic bottles, metal cans, cigarette butts, and more.

Expressing a desire for increased global awareness about environmental issues, Tomoe Takahashi, a member of the Japanese team, shared, "It's frustrating because we wanted to win this event." The United Kingdom secured the top spot, accumulating 9,046.1 points for collecting a total of 57.27 kilograms of garbage.

Anticipating continued enthusiasm, the second edition of the World Cup in garbage collection is scheduled to take place in Tokyo in 2025.