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Guidance and Advice

Collection and disposal of waste collected

Collection and disposal of litter; the council provide grey bags for general litter and orange sacks for recyclable items. Please do not put any broken glass in any of the sacks. 

It is important to agree a suitable pick-up location for our crews to collect the bagged litter.

 

Protective Clothing and Equipment

  • Reflective hi-visibility jackets to clearly identify volunteers to traffic and pedestrians. 

  • Litter picking sticks to avoid direct contact with litter and repetitive bending. 

  • Gloves to minimise contact with any noxious or dangerous materials. 

  • Sturdy and sensible footwear with adequate grip (no open toed footwear). 

  • Suitable and weather appropriate clothing. 

  • Sunscreen during the summer months  

Lifting and Handling Materials

Volunteers should be aware of the risk of injury by carrying bags of collected litter and attempting to lift and carry heavy materials. To avoid injury, the following basic principles of manual handling should be applied: 

 

  • Use litter pickers to prevent constant bending and stretching. When lifting an item, bend the legs and keep the back straight. 

  • Make sure an item is safe to handle with no sharp edges or noxious contents. 

  • Only try to move an item if this can be done so without straining. 

Hazardous Materials

The following materials may be encountered during litter picks and should be treated with caution. Volunteers should not remove these items, instead note the location and report to the council for specialist removal: 

  • Broken glass 

  • Needles/drug related litter 

  • Dangerous or unknown substances/liquids in containers, building materials or asbestos 

  • Fly tipping 

If there is any doubt about an item, leave it, and report it to the Council, telephone 01727 809019 

General Site Safety and Inspection

The level of risk will vary at each location, so prior to commencing a litter pick, it is recommended that a visual site inspection and risk assessment is carried out to establish the risks and to identify and note other possible hazards. If there is any doubt about the safety of a site or material, then it should be avoided: 

  • Litter picking should only be undertaken on footpaths, open spaces, or woodlands. 

  • It is best practise to work in small groups of two to three volunteers. 

  • Take extreme caution when crossing roads and follow the Highway Code. 

  • Do not attempt to clear litter from roads. 

  • Only litter pick on public land, do not enter private property. 

  • Do not litter pick at height or hard to reach places. 

  • Be mindful of wildlife and avoid contact with animals. 

  • Do not overfill bags, making them too heavy to comfortably handle. 

Health and Safety Equipment to consider

First Aid Boxes with basic bandages  

Plasters  

Antiseptic Wipes  

Eye Wash 

  Health and Safety Information and/or board  

Supply of clean water for hand washing  

Soap  

Paper towels  

Drinking water or warm drink  

Cups