Litter Picking and Prevention
Do you want to reduce litter in your area?
We can all do our bit to help create a cleaner and greener Barking and Dagenham for everyone to enjoy.
Dropping litter is not only unsightly, but it also has a negative impact on the environment, polluting the air that we breathe and causing danger to wildlife.
In Barking and Dagenham, we spend a lot of money collecting litter each year. This money could be used to fund vital public services.
Our Street Cleaning Team work really hard to clear litter from our streets and green spaces, but we all need to do our bit to help keep our borough looking it’s best.
Please pop your litter in a public bin or take it home with you. And if you want to take one step further, why not join lots of fantastic community groups that go above and beyond by carrying out regular litter picking sessions across the borough?
You can use the key dates tab on the right to see when a local litter pick is happening near you. We keep this page updated as much as possible but if you can't see anything there right now, please check back soon or get in touch with a local group directly using the social media links.
Nothing going on in your area?
Click here to see how you can do your own litter picking: on your own, with friends and neighbours, or by organising your own event for others to join!
What level of Litter-Warrior are you?
Level 1 - The Good Citizen: You put your own litter in the bin, taking care to put recyclables into the recycling bin and other rubbish into general waste.
Level 2 - Warrior in Training: You encourage others not to drop their litter and have taken part in one or two litter picking events.
Level 3 - Fully-fledged Litter Warrior: You regularly take part in litter picking events across the borough and reduce the amount of waste you throw away in the first place.
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Join Keep Britain Tidy's Great British Spring Clean
It’s time for us all to ‘step up’ and help keep our borough at its best during this year’s Great British Spring Clean!
The Great British Spring Clean runs from Friday 25 March to Sunday 10 April, and encourages families, neighbours and friends to pledge to collect a bag of litter from nearby streets or green spaces as part of the #BigBagChallenge. The initiative also aims to protect our local wildlife, while helping to create a cleaner, greener borough for all of us.
You can borrow litter picking equipment (litter pickers, gloves and bags) from the council if you’d like to carry out your very own community litter pick events. Register to carry out a litter picking session here.
Check out the Wall of Fame webpage which celebrates our borough’s many tireless community champions who go above and beyond to help keep our borough in tip-top shape. -
Hear from Karen about the benefits of litterpicking on wellbeing
This week, #litterhero Karen Marais will be sharing why she first joined Roding Rubbish, and what it has meant to her over the Covid pandemic."I had a young family at the time and was looking for something 'for myself'… something where I could be myself without the entourage of a buggy, nappies and the meltdowns!"I saw an advert for a local litterpick and joined the first event of Roding Rubbish. It has become a monthly staple of mine, taking part in all the litterpicking events when I can."I LOVE IT! I LOVE being out and about, LOVE meeting local people who also care for their borough and LOVE making a different in my own community.""During the pandemic I had to shield and solo litterpicking was my ‘daily exercise’… it really gave me purpose in those very challenging times."I love litterpicking after work or during the weekend as a stress buster, as an opportunity to clear my head and get some good 'me' time."I highly recommend it and it's very addictive! We hope to see more new faces at our next event!"Do you want to meet others and help make our borough cleaner and greener? Check out the upcoming litter picking events on this page or set up your own.
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Meet a local litter hero!
This month, #litterhero Steven Champion will be telling us why he set up Roding Rubbish and what it means to him to be part of the Barking & Dagenham litter-picking community.“When I moved in to Barking 3 years ago, I didn't really know anyone and was feeling quite isolated. A chance conversation with some neighbours gave me the idea to organise a litter pick in the area so I could meet some locals.“In March 2019, 6 neighbours completed the first Roding Rubbish litter pick. We LOVED it!“I'll never forget when a neighbour turned to me and said ‘you know what, the last few hours is the longest I've gone without thinking about work in years.’“This really struck a chord and I said ‘I feel the same’.“From that moment, we were hooked. Now nearly 3 years on, Roding Rubbish has grown to over 50 volunteers who have litter-picked over 3,500 bags of rubbish around Barking & Dagenham. My wellbeing has had a huge boost and I feel connected to my community in a way I never imagined.”Do you want to meet others and help make our borough cleaner and greener? Check out the upcoming litter picking events on this page or set up your own.
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Find out what local groups are doing in your area!
Want to find out what local litter-picking groups have been doing in your area? Find out here.
Have you recently done some litter picking in Barking and Dagenham? Get in touch and we'll share your great work! Just email: claire.brewin@lbbd.gov.uk
Get inspired
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Get inspired by seeing what other local groups are doing to clean up the borough!
Who's Listening
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Head of Compliance Projects and Administration
AJ -
Waste Minimisation Manager
EO -
Citizens Alliance Network project manager
