For today’s Green Tips Advent Calendar, we are picking up litter! Just like we do on the last Saturday of every month for our Two Hour Tidy Up, and this month is no exception; why not join us for a very special Christmas Clear up with Wellie Wombles next Saturday in Croyland Park? Meet at our Recycling Station on Kingsway Car Park which sets up from 9:30 for litter picking between 10am and midday.
Joining in with a litter pick guarantees conversation, meeting new people, or perhaps reconnecting with some familiar ones. Our Two Hour Tidy Ups can be a great opportunity to share your thoughts and feelings, talk about the weather, or have a laugh about the unusual pieces of litter you find. Litter picking is accessible to anyone who can walk short distances, use a litter picker, and carry a bag.
Why Pick Up Other People’s Litter?
There are many reasons to pick up litter, including:
- Positive impact: Litter picking can make a positive impact on the world and your local community.
- Sense of pride: Litter picking can help you feel a sense of pride and responsibility for your local area.
- Mental health: Litter picking can be therapeutic and improve your mental health.
- Physical health: Litter picking can improve your physical health by getting you outside and moving around.
- Connection with nature: Litter picking can increase your connection with nature.
- Sense of community: Litter picking can bring communities together.
- Wildlife: Litter harms wildlife and picking it up can help.
- Wasted resources: Litter is a wasted resource.
- Fun: Litter picking can be fun, especially when you receive appreciation from passers-by.
- Sense of achievement: Litter picking can give you a sense of achievement, especially when you see the before and after.
When you consider once discarded, litter remains in our environment for decades, making its way from land into our waterways and oceans – plastic bottles can last around 450 years – the more of it we can tidy up, the better! And that’s what Wellingborough Eco Group and Wellie Wombles have done. We have litter picked over 11,000 bags full of litter over the past five years! We have also reported 250 fly tips!
Be a Wellie Womble
Wellie Wombles are a litter picking group from Wellingborough Eco Group, started on Facebook by Freddie Harris in February 2021, also as the Wellingborough and East Northamptonshire group of Northants Litter Wombles, both of whom have been set up to encourage people to litter pick.
Wellie Wombles are individual litter pickers who, like the TV Characters, go Wombling free tidying up after the everyday people. We do suggest that you start near where you live but you can litter pick whenever you want to, and pretty much wherever you want to. As a group we simply offer you help, supplies and guidance, plus give you the chance to share photos with each other of what you have picked.
To help you, we can loan litter pickers, hi-vis and hoops, and to give away bags at ECO HUB and from Wellingborough Library. You can also purchase a variety of pickers and hoops from us, and we are available to help and give guidance when needed
Litter Picking Guidelines:
– When litter picking, only do so on public land such as parks, footpaths or local streets.
– Never put yourself or others at risk, always avoid rivers, steep banks and busy roads.
– Wear suitable clothing including hi-vis vests, covered footwear and protective gloves whilst out on a litter pick.
– Never pick up sharp objects, including needles and glass. Do not touch hazardous items, including asbestos and bottles of chemicals or urine, report if found.
– Don’t attempt to move large items or clear up fly tipping, report if found.
– Always use the red/orange in North Northants.
– We also supply clear bags for clean recyclables, but please note these need to be emptied into your recycling wheelie bin at home.
– Bags need to be left by a public highway, either on a path or verge for collection. Please do not leave bags by a public bin or on private land, as this could be reported as fly-tipping.
Reporting bags and other items:
– To get bags collected, if you live in North Northants simply report on our website at https://wellingboroughecogroup.org.uk/eco/litter-picking/bag-report/
– Alternatively call you can call North Northamptonshire Council with their location on 0300 1263000
– Typical timescales for collecting bags is 3/4 days.
– If you can, download the ”What3Words” app to report exact locations of bags and other items.
– To report the location large items, fly-tipping, hazardous or sharp objects, call North Northamptonshire Council on 0300 1263000
– Alternatively you can use apps. To report fly-tipping use ‘Fixmystreet’ and to report an abandoned trolley use ‘Trolley Wise’
– For areas not within North Northants, please obtain bags and report to your local council service.
Last year Wellie Wombles launched CLEAN (Litter Educate Advise Northants ) have spoken to 1657 young people this year. CLEAN presentatations are available to all schools and childrens groups free of charge and include the opportunity to go out litter picking afterwards with one of our Wombles! You can find out more about CLEAN on our website or by calling Freddie.
Join us for our monthly Two Hour Tidy Up!
Croyland Park has been chosen by Victor, who is a local councillor, he has reported that the park is heavily littered and will be join us next Saturday. We have tidied up this area before, but unfortunately due to some messy people there’s a lot to do. It could be cold, so free refreshments including tea and coffee will be available.
To help us and keep us safe at this and future litter picks, Wellingborough Eco Group have purchased some litter pickers, hi-vis vests and safety equipment including road signs, so everything is provided but please bring your own gloves and do dress up in festive outfits if you can. Join in, bring your friends and family, see you one Saturday 28th December from 10-12, ALL WELCOME! Merry Christmas everyone!