How To Organise A Litter Pick
How to organise a litter pick get organised, stay safe and dispose properly
So you want to organise a litter pick huh? But you’re not sure where to start? Well we’ve done a few in our time and think we’re pretty good at them, so good in fact that we’ve put together these top tips to get you started on your own.
Litter picks and beach cleans are a great way to spend your free time, it combines the mental and physical benefits of exercise, socialising and the feeling of contributing to something bigger than yourself – the community.
It’s also a really good way to spread awareness of issues. People see us cleaning an area of beach or bay and stop to ask what we are doing, this opens up a conversation that other wise would not have happened. Nothing is quiet as powerful in convincing as showing someone with their own eyes the evidence of pollution. They may even offer to lend a hand or ask when the next clean will be. The influence of community action is powerful and is something we need to utilise for change to happen.
So without further adieu, here are our tips for organising your own litter pick!
get organised
- You need a way of organising your litter pick and there are a few ways you can do this.
- Create a Facebook group. When we host our community cleans we create events and post them to our Oceans To Earth and Plastic Free Poole group, this gets the word out.
- Create a group chat. If you want to keep things private why not use WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger to start a group chat of litter picking enthusiasts. This way is more like having a group of mates who you meet up with from time to time… except you collect litter and waste (and probably go for a drink after)
- Once your Facebook or group chat has been set up it’s time to set a date, time and location that everyone is happy with. Take care when deciding the location of your beach clean, ensuring it’s easily accessible and safe to clean.
- Have a meet up location. Set a time and place to meet so everyone can walk to the litter pick location together.
Health & safety
- If you are a registered charity or business and you want to organise a litter pick under that then you must have insurance to do so, it’s vital you consider and check this before organising anything or you may be liable.
- However if you are providing a date and time where you will be at a location for the purpose of a litter pick and by chance others are present as well, well that’s just coincidence! But there are still some steps you should take to ensure your own safety.
- Wear hi-vis clothing, this allows you to identify other litter pickers and makes you visible in poor conditions
- Bring a litter picker, you want to avoid picking up rubbish with your hands, this prevents exposure to nasty chemicals or germs and reduces the risk of cuts.
- Wear gloves, this again prevents exposure to germs, chemicals and sharp objects
- Take food and water, keep yourself well nourished and watered. You’re expending more energy than you realise when litter picking and nourishment will keep you alert to any other potential risks such as bad weather or rising tides.
disposal
- We’ve actually already covered our 6 tips for waste removal so click BELOW for the final steps in organising your own litter pick
