Litter Picks & Beach Cleans
CARE ABOUT YOUR COAST…
Lyme Litter Pickers are an informal group of volunteers who meet approximately every six weeks. Our litter picks are mostly along Lyme Regis seafront, but we also encourage people to contact us if they spot other areas in and around Lyme Regis with high volumes of litter so that we can tackle those areas too.
Dates for litter picks can be found on our EVENTS page.
Anyone is welcome to join us, our Whatsapp group, or sign up for email alerts for upcoming litter picks and other educational activities. We would like to build on our 2023 campaign to encourage smokers to dispose of their cigarette butts responsibly and also engage businesses in Lyme Regis further in anti-litter campaigns. If you are a business or local group wishing to organise a community or team-building event, we can lend out pickers and gloves. We would also be happy to engage with schools on educational programmes. All ideas and support welcome – just get in touch on the email below.
It is perhaps bizarrely satisfying to fill a sack with rubbish – anything from micro-plastics to sweet wrappers and fishing gear. Others reward our efforts too. Baboo regularly offers our litter pickers a free ice-cream or hot drink and Tom’s a hot drink, that’s quite apart from the positive comments we get from residents and visitors alike!
Litter Free Dorset support our work, so look out for the dates of our next litter pick on their or Turna Lyme Green’s social media. Bring a bucket, find some gloves (though we can provide these too) and join us. We’re a friendly group and whether for just an occasional litter pick or on a more regular basis you’ll be most welcome.
Beach Clean Top Tips…
Make sure that you’re dressed for the occasion: wear appropriate clothing, take a hat if it’s sunny, sensible shoes or boots and maybe even take some hand gel so you can clean your hands on the go.
Take a mobile phone with you. Get the organiser’s phone number before you start so you can contact them if you need to.
Always keep your gloves on and make sure that you wash and/or gel your hands before eating.
Use a ‘picker-upper’ if you’ve been given one – it means your gloves and hands stay clean and safe.
Handle litter with care – it can be sharp: for example fish hooks, or hot: a recently used barbeque tray, or dangerous: if it looks like a bomb, a bullet, a shotgun cartridge or something with wires sticking out then don’t touch it - call the organiser who will deal with it with local emergency services if appropriate.
Don’t pick up any glass or needles – call the organiser and they will deal with that. Some have a special ‘sharps’ box for needles or a 'broken glass' box to make sure that kind of waste is safely put away.
Stick together – never walk alone (I think there’s a song about that…)
Stick to the agreed cleaning area – stay away from the water and any cliffs (top or bottom). You don’t want to fall over a cliff or have one to fall on top of you! Around the Jurassic Coast cliffs can collapse so don't go too near the edge...
Don’t fill your bag too full, look after your back! Carry a spare bag so you don’t have to go back to the start to get one.
If you don’t feel well or have any concerns about your personal safety stop and either speak to an organiser or return to the meeting point.
and lastly….
Have a great day outside cleaning your beach so everyone can enjoy it!
Why is cigarette butt littering such a huge problem and what has Lyme Regis done to tackle it?
They are made of plastic and never fully break down
They contain over 4000 toxic chemicals which pollute our oceans and rivers
They harm wildlife due to the toxic chemicals they leech and also animals may ingest littered butts
