Clearing up
Do you walk around your local area thinking how dirty and untidy it is and getting annoyed about all the rubbish lying around? Now you can do something about it with our easy tips and advice on arranging a litter pick.
Don't worry if you don't have time to arrange anything on your own - there are plenty of groups out there who can help. Alternatively you could just do a little bit on your family or friends, or even on your way home from work! You'll be amazed how quickly an area can be transformed and how much more inviting it will be for both humans and wildlife alike.
Getting started
On your own
- Whether you just take a plastic bag with you on your usual walks or start a regular litter pick on your own or with your family it will all help make your area a cleaner place to live.
- Decide on an area you would like to look after - whether it's your walk to the shops or a local piece of woodland or a park. You can get a great sense of achievement by keeping one area free from rubbish, although you may find that litter can start appearing again in a week or so. So why not make it a regular activity - maybe for once a month or twice a year?
- Make sure you wear heavy duty gloves, or better still use a litter picker. If you contact your local council, you may find that they will provide you with these - along with high visibility jackets and refuse sacks.
Join a group
There are loads of litter picking groups all across the UK that you can join and spend an hour or so each week/month cleaning up your local area.
Litteraction is a national campaign which has 100's of volunteer groups set up for people to join. Just type in your postcode to find a group in your area.
You could also try contacting your local council as they sometimes run voluntary litter picking groups that you can join. Working in a group will enable you to cover larger areas, meet new people and get a great sense of community.
And if you're really keen on keeping things clean check out our Beach Clean page for how you can organise your own Beach Clean!
Start a group
Starting a group is a great way to get together like minded people or a bunch of friends and do your bit for your local area. You could either have a one-off litter pick event or decide to form a weekly or monthly group.
If you just want to do a one-off event then you can register your group with The Big Tidy Up campaign where you can get lots of information on how to organise and promote your group. You can also get advice on how to get permission from the land owner and what to do with the rubbish that you collect.
If you would like to form a more long-standing volunteer group then it's a good idea to register it with Litteraction who have lots of information on the best way forward.
Safety first
Whether you are working alone or in a group litter pick, you need to ensure that everyone stays safe at all times. You therefore need to be very careful about exactly what you are picking up and where you work.
Please ensure that you are wearing heavy duty gloves or using a litter picker at all times. Take extra care with any obvious hazards - such as tin cans and broken glass - and ensure that children are supervised by an adult. You should also think carefully about the area you are working in as some environments such as fast flowing rivers or busy roads can be dangerous.
Make sure that everyone washes their hands and avoids touching their face and mouth during and after the pick. Most importantly, if you come across any needles or possible hazardous waste then avoid it completely and inform your local council.
