1. Where should I carry out my litter pick?

• Think about areas where you’ve seen lots of litter in the past
• Ask around the local community for ideas
• Obtain permission from the landowner
• Decide on an easily accessible meet-up point, close to where the litter pick is taking place

2. What will I do with the litter?

• Contact your council; they may be able to help
• Ensure that your local tip is equipped to accept the kind of rubbish you’re collecting
• Commercial waste companies will collect rubbish for a fee
• Try to separate rubbish into recyclable and non-recyclable where possible

3. How will I ensure a good level of Health & Safety?

• The organiser must visit the site prior to the event in order to carry out a risk assessment
• Scroll down to the bottom of the page to download a blank litter pick risk assessment form!

4. How do I make litter picking fun?

• Making the litter pick fun is the best way to encourage volunteers!
• You could do a sponsored litter pick where the litter-picker with the highest sponsorship wins a prize
• Enlist the help of a local celebrity
• Most people will do anything for a cup of tea and a biscuit, so providing refreshments can make the event much more successful

5. How do I decide who to target?

• Advertise your event to local community groups who may be interested in taking part
• People who spend a lot of time in nature are likely to come out and help, so consider approaching photography groups, outdoor sports groups and dog walkers

6. How will I publicise my event?

• Send a press release to your local newspaper or radio station
• Put up posters in places where your target audience will see them
• Communicate with friends and family
• Create a public event on Facebook

7. What equipment will I need?

• Your local council may be able to provide you with some equipment
• Litter pickers
• Bin bags (try to provide different options for recyclable vs non-recyclable waste)
• Protective gloves
• Hand sanitiser
• A skip if your event is on the larger side
• A first aid kit for any accidents

8. What do I need to do on the day?

• You could ask people to sign a participation form, including giving an emergency contact number
• Ensure that all of your volunteers know where they need to go and when
• Check the weather and plan in advance for any changes
• Go through this risk assessment
• If you have more people than equipment, consider splitting people into teams of three; one can pick the rubbish, one can hold the bag, and one can record the items they collect