Skip to content

Community Litter Picking

Posted on 9 Mar 2023

Organised local litter picking

Litter is unsightly and it devalues the local area, pollutes the environment, causes harm to residents and wildlife and is expensive to clean up. Councils in England spend more than £700 million on street cleaning services every year.

We can support you in organising a litter pick in your local area throughout the year. If you don't have your own equipment, you can borrow litter picking equipment from us.

Standard equipment hire would include the following:

  • Reflective hi-visibility jackets.
  • Litter picking sticks.
  • Litter bags.
  • Hoops to hold bags open (these are an additional loan option).

We strongly recommend that you read our guidance and advice notes below before undertaking your litter picking event. Please ensure that you brief all volunteers on health and safety issues and any risks involved prior to the event taking place.

Please note: The online form below can be used to let us know when your event is taking place, whether you have your own litter picking equipment or if you need to borrow equipment from us.

Please be sure to tell us where the litter should be picked up from so that it isn't thought of as fly-tipping.

Tell us about a litter picking event you are organising - opens new windowExternal Link - opens in a new window

Guidance and advice

Individuals and groups acting as volunteer litter pickers can be exposed to a number of easily avoidable hazards. This guidance has been produced to help volunteers identify these hazards, making their involvement safe and enjoyable. This is a generic risk guide to the type of known hazards and risks that people could face when litter picking. It should be used as guidance only; it is not a substitute for your own assessment of the risks and the control measures that you have put in place.