How to host a litter pick with a twist

How to host a litter pick with a twist

Have you ever felt FOMO from a litter pick? No? Prepare for that to change. We’ve got 6 ideas that will add some pizzazz to your pick and encourage anyone to get involved.

These tips are part of something bigger. At Hubbub, we want to see a world where everyone makes choices that are good for the environment. Check out what we do and how your actions add up.

First, some basics. For any litter pick remember to always:

• Get the right kit. Gloves, litter pickers and bin bags are essentials for doing a litter picking sweep. Your local council or a local litter-picking organisation might be able to provide litter picking equipment, so it’s well-worth an ask before you buy some! 
• Make it safe.  If you don’t have your own insurance or ability to do a risk assessment, contact your local council beforehand to make sure that the area is safe for you to litter pick. Some places, such as beside the road, are sometimes best left unpicked if it puts you in harm’s way.  
• Pick n’mix.  Bring along a thermos of tea or some tasty snacks as a reward for your fellow litter pickers - and to make them want to come again next time!
• Dispose of your litter.  Small amounts of picked up litter put in public bins is great, however if you’re planning on collecting it in bags it’s best to ask the landowner or council where it should be left so they can arrange to take it away. Otherwise, litter bins fill up quicker and spill over with any rubbish people put in afterwards!  

Then, simply add one of these ideas on top to give your litter pick a twist of fun!

1) Go fancy dress

Why not set a theme for your litter pick? Think pirates, wild west, superheroes, book characters, fantasy or whatever floats your boat. You’re bound to turn heads, create fomo, and inspire more pickers along the way.

2) Go disco

A little bit o’ music goes a long way to adding some pizazz to your pick. Create a (litter themed?) playlist, grab a speaker, and dance the litter away. “Bin me baby one more time!”.

3) Go silent disco

Go one step further and hire a silent disco set for even vibey-er vibes, or simply get everyone to bring their own headphones and pick to their own tunes. This will mean you can spread out further from each other too, but stay away from the road and watch out for other people nearby!

4) Make it into a treasure hunt

Kids, adults alike – everyone loves a treasure hunt, right? So why not scavenge for more than just litter, and throw some ‘treasure’ in too? Try planning a route with some crafty clues leading to treasure trove, and you could even add some surprise treats along the way for extra excitement. Ready, set, scavenge.

5) Make it a competition

See if you can add the opportunity of bragging rights to your litter pick with a bit of healthy competition. Scoring could include most items of litter collected (the little bits count too!) or the most interesting item found... Best of all, when your neighbourhood is litter-free, everyone’s a winner, right?😎

6) Make it a pick n’ mix pick-nic

Food is always a crowd pleaser! If you’re picking in the park, you might as well make a day of it, get everyone to bring some food and snacks to share, and you can choose which comes first – the pick, or the picnic!