One Bag – Big Difference: Hartlepool backs Keep Britain Tidy’s #BIGBAGCHALLENGE to help ‘Spring Clean’ Britain

Back for its seventh year, the 2022 campaign runs between 25 March and 10 April and aims to help all to further clear their local communities of litter with support from the authority. 

There are lots of ways to participate in the campaign. You can join is either as individuals on your daily walks or as part of a larger community clean up group. Everyone is encouraged to get involved and pick up one bag of litter to help keep Hartlepool tidy.

As part of our own pledge to support the campaign and the groups participating, we can provide bags and loan litter picking equipment (subject to availability). Find out more details below.

How can you get involved?

1. Register your litter pick on the Keep Britain Tidy website 

2. Contact us at customer.services@hartlepool.gov.uk to let us know: 

• Date of your litter pick (groups will be supported with equipment wherever possible) 
• The location of your event 
• How many volunteers are expected (estimate) 
• Items and quantities requested: 
• • Adult litter pickers (max. 5 per group) 
  • Refuse bags (max. 30 per group) 

How can you dispose of the waste?

• Bags can be disposed of within a public litter bin or left next to a public litter bin if it is already full.
• Alternatively you can report the location of where you have left a waste bag ready for collection at www.hartlepool.gov.uk/cleansing 

Do's and don’ts

• As always, safety is paramount. Focus your efforts within residential areas and open spaces. Working on the highways comes with significant risk and should be left to the experts. 
• Do not pick up anything that looks suspicious or dangerous (unknown chemicals/sharps/ broken glass etc). 
• Any large items should be left where they are, and reported at www.hartlepool.gov.uk/fly-tipping.  Suspected fly-tips will be investigated and by removing these items you may remove possible evidence which could later lead to a prosecution. 
• Wear appropriate footwear for the activity and consider other PPE such as gloves and hi-vis jackets. 

Councillor Cameron Stokell, Chair of Hartlepool Borough Council’s Neighbourhood Services Committee said: "In recent years outdoor places and green spaces have mattered more than ever, which is why it's great to see local people come together to help maintain the quality of their environment.” 

“The Great British Spring Clean provides the perfect time for friends, families, neighbours and even colleagues to get together to join the national effort and take part in a litter pick and help take even greater pride our streets, parks and beaches.”

“We are encouraging everyone to get involved this year and see the difference collecting one bag of litter can really make.”

“Don’t forget to share before and after photos and stories of your event on social media using the hashtag #GBSCHartlepool. We’ll be sharing our favourites across our social media channels.”

To find out more about the Great British Spring Clean 2022, visit www.keepbritaintidy.org.