Local volunteers tackle litter for Great British September Clean

More than 100 volunteers from around Dacorum rallied together in the Great British September Clean, to litter pick their local streets, parks and play areas collecting 75 bags of rubbish and over 45 bags of recycling.

Dacorum Borough Council supported the Keep Britain Tidy national event, with participants including dog walkers, community groups, scout groups and school groups.

As well as keeping the streets clean, each group of volunteers separated the recyclable litter so that those materials could be turned into something new, instead of going to landfill.

Craig Thorpe, Dacorum Borough Council Group Manager for Environmental Services, said: ‘We would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who volunteered their time litter picking for the Great British September Clean. The contribution each of these individuals has made to better their local communities, displays a heartening example of how much good can be accomplished in such a short amount of time.’

This annual event is normally called the Great British Spring Clean, but was postponed from spring to September due to COVID-19. Each litter picking event was run with updated safety protocols including limiting the maximum number of participants to six.

The month-long campaign helped to clear COVID-19-related litter, including used facemasks and gloves that have been discarded all around the borough. Ensuring that all litter is properly placed in a street bin helps protect others and the environment. Anyone caught dropping litter can receive a Fixed Penalty Notice of £80 and £150 when littered from a vehicle.

Dacorum Borough Council offers support all year round for litter pickers, loaning out litter-picking sticks and bags, as well as collecting these bags after the litter pick.

There’s more information at: www.dacorum.gov.uk/litterpick.