Everything you need to set up and run your own community litter pick
PECT wants to bring together businesses, community groups, and individuals to educate and inspire everyone to have the confidence to run litter picks in their own area. Together we can help to create happier, healthier, cleaner, and greener places to live and enjoy.
We want to support communities who are tackling the problem of litter themselves, by offering advice and resources to enable people to organise tidy-up activities that will enhance their neighbourhoods.
These resources have been made possible thanks to support from Tesco’s Bags of Help community grant scheme. Bags of Help is run in partnership with environmental charity Groundwork, and sees grants awarded to thousands of local community projects every year. Since launching in 2015, it’s provided more than £79 million to over 26,000 local community projects.
Why are we doing it?
Does anyone actually like the sight of litter in the area where they live? In addition to dropped waste spoiling our neighbourhoods, it also has detrimental effects on our wildlife and environment, plus costs millions of pounds to clean up each year.
Research shows that people tend to drop litter more when there is already rubbish on the ground. By making sure our neighbourhoods are clean and tidy, there is less of an incentive for people to drop. A lack of pride in local areas can also lead to more crime, so keeping neighbourhoods litter-free could help keep people safe too.
Every day masses of items that could be reused or recycled end up being thrown away. Litter picking is a great way to raise awareness of the issues of waste and to encourage people to think about excess packaging before they buy, to encourage them to reuse it or recycle it, and not to drop it on the ground!
Why go on a litter pick?
Aside from improving your local environment, litter picking is a great way to enjoy some physical activity outdoors. It is an opportunity to gain some exercise and achieve something valuable at the same time. There is also the social benefit of getting together with your neighbours to clean up your area. Local litter picks can really bring a community together.
This is about more than simply getting people to pick up litter. We want to encourage long-term behaviour change around the issues of litter and waste. See and download our available resources below:
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