Starting a litter picking group
Bringing together a group of local people to hold regular community litter picks is very rewarding! Your area will be cleaner and more beautiful, and you'll probably make some new friends too.
So, where shall you start?
The litter picking toolkit
Our toolkit is an excellent overview of everything you need to know to start your litter picking journey. We cover planning, promoting, equipment, health and safety, and growing and maintaining your group once it’s up and running. Have a read.
Before you get started.
What's in a name? Well, a lot! You might want to pick one for your group before you get started. We've also put together a list of other things you might want to think about:
Where to litter pick
Before you get started, it's useful to think about where you want to start litter picking. It's useful to think about:
- Where your community is located.
- If there are any local ‘grot spots’ that have a lot of litter and if the location is easy to access.
- The area you'll cover whilst out litter picking. You might want to try your street, estate, village, town, beach or local park.
Who to litter pick with
- Your neighbours, friends, or local helpers could be on hand to help. If you have a road WhatsApp group it could be a great way to get recruiting.
- Existing local groups might also be interested in getting involved - reach out to tenants’ and residents’ associations, local civic amenity groups or faith groups.
- Local groups near you. Check out our map to see if there are any other cleanup groups registered in your local area that might be able to give advice and help.
- Put the feelers out and start a contact list of people who are interested in hearing more
Sort out the logistics
Once you have a group of people who are ready and willing to help, get together and have a cuppa and a chat about what needs to be done and who is going to do what. Think about:
If you'd be happy to organise the events and for other people to just turn up on the day? Or if you'd like more hands on deck? Some people might come forward and be willing to get more involved when they see and understand more clearly what it is all about by taking part in a cleanup. Our advice is to keep your eyes open and recruit willing helpers where you can!
Happy Litter Picking 🎉