Tower Hamlets litter pick volunteers in 2022
Could you help us make a difference in your local community as we continue to work together to tackle the scourge of litter in our district?
DDC is looking for volunteers to sign up for this year’s Great British Spring Clean campaign (GBSC) which officially starts this week.
The annual spring litter picking event, organised by Keep Britain Tidy (KBT) and taking place between 17 March and 2 April, calls on everyone to come together and help to make Britain cleaner and greener.
Now in its eighth year, KBT is focusing on the ‘Pride our #LitterHeroes have for their local community’. DDC plans to support the campaign fortnight once again by rallying our own district’s volunteers and taking local action.
The council spends £1.5m each year on street cleansing and regularly runs local campaigns encouraging residents to pick up after their dog, use the local bins and take their rubbish home. Unfortunately, though, there are still some who don’t dispose of their litter responsibly.
DDC fully appreciates the efforts of local voluntary groups who offer their continued help and celebrates the majority of residents who do care.
KBT have put together a beginners’ guide to litter picking, which covers everything a ‘litter hero’ would need to get started. This includes choosing the right spot, keeping safe, knowing how to access bags and the necessary equipment and tips on how to organise their own litter picking event. The council will arrange to pick up any rubbish that is collected.
Residents can also join us at one of our pop-up litter picking events across the district.
This year we will also be supporting the campaign with fun and educational games and competitions, encouraging participation in the LitterLotto and rewarding residents who support their local environment through our REACH Awards.
DDC will be:
- Hosting a two-week litter picking tour across the district with the Community Roots van. The environmental and community teams will be on hand with litter picking equipment, fun games to educate younger visitors and information to help residents reduce, reuse, repair and recycle
- Teaming up with our refuse, recycling and street cleansing contractor, Veolia Environmental Services, to host a design competition. Residents aged under 18 are being asked to get creative and design a Veolia vehicle poster that will encourage people to ‘do the right thing and put their litter in the bin’
- Running an Instagram video competition in conjunction with LitterLotto to see the creative ways that residents choose to ‘do the right thing and put their litter in the bin’
- Launching our REACH (Recognising Environmental and Community Heroes) Awards for the second year, following a successful campaign last year
- Partnering with LitterLotto to launch the LitterLotto app where residents can win prizes for binning litter.
Martin Bates, Cabinet member for Transport, Licensing and Regulatory Services, said: “Joining the Great British Spring Clean is a great way to meet new friends outdoors, while making the district a cleaner place to live. The council is delighted to be supporting this event and is looking forward to going out in the community and meeting our residents.
“Litter is an ongoing problem for which we are continuously looking to find solutions. This campaign will highlight the work of the council, our contractors and regular volunteers and will highlight the continuous work that takes place behind the scenes to ensure a cleaner district that we can all be proud of.”
Note to editors
More information on the GBSC campaign can be found at www.dover.gov.uk/GBSC
Posted on 13 March 2023