Keeping Peterborough tidy
Keeping Peterborough clean and tidy is a day-to-day task for us and our partner Aragon Direct Services.
Each year, we spend over £1m cleansing our city's streets and public places. This includes picking up litter that people choose not to dispose of correctly.
We welcome support from residents, businesses and the National Probation Service in keeping our city litter free. If you'd like to report litter to us or get involved with litter picking, please see our information below.
Keep Britain Tidy Spring Clean - 15 to 31 March 2024
A campaign of action to highlight the issues of littering around Peterborough takes place this month. We invite everybody to get involved!
As part of the Keep Britain Tidy Spring Clean taking place between 15 and 31 March 2024, we and the Peterborough Litter Wombles (PLW) are holding organised litter picks across the city.
The following litter picks will be held over the coming fortnight, led by members of the PLW, councillors and officers. It's free to take part and we will provide all equipment, including hi-vis jackets and litter grabbers.
Residents can turn up and attend one (or more) of these events and there is also the option to pre-book by contacting peterboroughwombles@gmail.com. We will publish any updates or changes to the above schedule on our website and via our social media channels.
Other ways to get involved in the Spring Clean
To host a Spring Clean litter pick in your community, you need to sign up on the Keep Britain Tidy website. There are details on their website about what you need to do and how to promote your clean-up as part of the Keep Britain Tidy Spring Clean.
Find a registered Spring Clean in your area on the Keep Britain Tidy website.
Report litter
Please visit our report it online page to let us know about:
- Litter
- Fly-tipping
- Graffiti
- Broken glass
How to organise your own community litter pick or clean up
How we can support your litter pick
We support groups undertaking litter picks on council-owned / public land across the city.
Our contractor Aragon Direct Services can:
- Lend you grabbers and hi-vis jackets / vests
- Provide refuse bags
- Collect the bags of litter from a pre-arranged location
- Dispose of the bags of litter
This service is free of charge. Please give Aragon Direct Services a minimum of one week's notice.
If you want to litter pick on private land
If you intend to undertake a litter pick on private land, you must liaise with the landowner and obtain their permission. We do not lend equipment for litter picks on private land. We also do not collect and dispose of any waste collected on private land.
Guidance on organising a litter pick on public land with our support
We have put together the following guidance on how to organise a litter pick on council-owned / public land.
Please note you must agree the details of your litter pick with Aragon Direct Services in advance.
Please note:
Litter picking volunteers are not working for or on behalf of Peterborough City Council and are not covered by the council's public liability insurance.
Litter picking safety checklist
Take the time to review our checklist with helpful tips to make sure your event is as safe and successful as possible.
Do
- Use grabbers to pick up ALL litter, including glass and metal items
- Be aware of your environment to avoid risks
- Litter pick during full daylight hours
- Clean hands thoroughly before eating and drinking
- Wear hi-vis jackets / vests
- Wear stout shoes and weather appropriate clothing
- Stay clear of water, rock, mud and other potentially unstable or hazardous surfaces
- Follow local rules, our guidelines, including safe and lawful parking
- Avoid contact with the body when carrying any bags of litter
- Ensure bags can be easily tied up so debris does not escape
- Ensure all cuts or abrasions are clean and covered with a waterproof plaster
Don't
- Don’t pick up any items that cannot be easily identified or where they are clearly hazardous, including needles and drug paraphernalia. Report any potentially dangerous items to Aragon Direct Services on 01733 425 300.
- Don’t attempt to remove dead or live animals. Please report any animals to Aragon Direct Services on 01733 425 300.
- Don’t compress rubbish using hands and feet, as this could accidentally puncture skin.
- Don’t pick alongside roads with more than a 30mph speed limit. If you pick alongside parish lanes, always wear hi-vis vests. Be aware of traffic at all times. Stop litter picking to allow vehicles to pass.
- Don’t overfill bags or place heavy items into bags. Avoid lifting heavy sacks alone.
- Don’t confront anyone you see littering
- Don’t attempt to lift bulky or heavy items. Please report these to Aragon Direct Services on 01733 425 300.
Litter picking risk assessment
It is your responsibility to assess the area for any risks before, and during, the litter picking session and only continue if it is safe to do so.
Make sure you visit the litter picking location in advance and complete a risk assessment to ensure you have captured all of the potential issues and have control measures in place.
We have published a sample risk assessment document you can use.