Important: Litter can be contaminated, so we have put together some information to help you handle it safely. Please click on this link to have a read through our Health and Safety Guidance before you go out litter-picking.
Important: Litter can be contaminated, so we have put together some information to help you handle it safely. Please click on this link to have a read through our Health and Safety Guidance before you go out litter-picking.
Our 18th Litter Pick - 'A Pick Like No Other' - will be going ahead on Saturday 11th July. It will bear no resemblance to the 17 that have gone before - with no pre or post meet, no refreshments, and no picking in groups. We will largely pick in single-household couples, with no sharing of transport, and sanitised packs (litter picks, hoops, vests and sacks) delivered to each household in advance. Each household will phone the coordinator before they leave home, and as soon as they return. Volunteers have had to register in advance (registration now closed) - no just turning up on the day this time! There was a lot of enthusiasm shown about this Pick - in the end a total of 18 volunteers picked, backed up by an additional person collecting the sacks from the roadside.
But what a difference the closure of many fast food takeaways made! For the ‘Pick Like No Other’ there were no pre- or post-meets at the parish hall; no picking in groups; no car sharing; and no bacon rolls! A few days prior to the Pick packs (hoops, litter pickers, sacks, and hi-viz vests) had been delivered to each team. Almost all the teams were a single household couple - with just one team of two single people picking (almost) together. The day itself was sunny and growingly hot. We knew there would be less litter (after all, McDonalds and many similar outlets had been closed for some months until just a few days before the Pick), but still managed to pick 17 sacks, various car parts, some large plastic containers, pornographic magazines and a child’s bike. We also found lots more empty packets of Nurofen (we found 30 last time). But no hub-caps – for the first time ever!. And found yet more fly-tipping (on the slip road to the right coming up Corfe Hill). A separate incidence - of bags of clothes in the road leading to the church – had been reported to the District Council earlier in the week. COVID-19 So what did we learn about the impact of lockdown on our Litter Pick?  17 sacks collected (against an average of 45 in each of the first 17 Picks).  196 drinks cans recycled (against an average of 438 in each earlier Pick)  88 plastic bottles recycled (against an average of 354 in each earlier Pick).  10 glass bottles/jars recycled (against an average of 71 in each earlier Pick). No fuss, no bother, and no clapping! Following the event, a Blue Hub-Cap and chocolates were delivered to one volunteer (for completing 10 picks), and a Blue Macky'D Cup and chocolates to another for completing fifteen .
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These groups are near to you in case you want to contact them for advice, to offer them support or, for example, to share equipment with them.
Here at CleanupUK, we want to help you to take LitterAction! Wherever you live in the UK, forming your own community litter-picking group will help to keep your community safer, more friendly and free of litter. It’s lots of fun too. Why not muck in and join us?
