Litter Picks and Cleanups
A Community Cleanup is a great way to show that you and your group care about your local environment, it will also encourage other local residents not to litter and to take a pride in their area.
For an event of up to around 50 people we can lend you all the equipment you need and will even come and take away the litter you collect. For bigger events see Keep Britain Tidy's Big Tidy Up.
Here are some things you might like to consider for a safe and successful litter pick.
Location
Decide where your cleanup is going to be. It could be your local park, beach, school grounds or your own street. Don't forget to ask the landowner's permission if the land is privately owned.
Volunteers
You don't need a large group to make a difference. Ask friends, family and local residents. You could also drum up support from other groups in your area such as schools, Scout and Guide groups, environmental groups etc.
Remember you are asking people to give up their time so try to make it as fun as possible. You could theme the event or run it as a challenge or competition.
Publicity
If you want to drum up more support for your event why not publicise it? Tell your friends, put up posters in your local shops, and tell us. We can add your event to the What's On section of this website if you like.
Registration
Once you've decided on the date, time and venue, email us at litterpick@lancaster.gov.uk to register the event details.
Equipment
Once you've told us about your event and the approximate number of people attending, we will supply the following equipment, which you can either collect from White Lund depot, or we can deliver it to you.
- Litter grabbers
- Gloves
- High-vis vests
- Rubbish bags
- Sharps box if necessary (for needles)
- Spray can (for marking any bags that have broken glass in)
Staying Safe
Litter picks are generally very safe and it is unlikely you will encounter any serious hazards or incidents. However before starting your cleanup you should think about any hazards you might come up against, and carry out a risk assessment. You can use our Litter Pick Risk Assessment Form.
You may like to consider taking out public liability insurance if you will be organising regular litter picks.
Volunteer briefing
Before you start your cleanup, gather your volunteers together for a briefing to let them know about:
- The boundaries of the cleanup area
- Health and safety risks
- First aid arrangements and what to do in case of emergency
- Meeting point and time
Be considerate
If you are working in the countryside or open spaces, please be careful not to disturb animals or damage plants, and leave 'natural' rubbish such as logs, stones etc alone.
The Result
Let us know what time you'll be finishing, and once you've completed your cleanup we will collect the equipment and the litter. We will agree a collection point where the bags must be left in order for our crew to collect them quickly and easily.
Don’t forget to tell us about your event – send in your photos and videos of the day, and use the online feedback form on the printable version on the right hand side to tell us how many people attended, and how many bags of litter you collected.
See photos and find out more about recently held litter picks .