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Calling all litter loathers

Released on 7 Aug 2008

The Big Tidy Up, this September, could be the county's biggest ever litter clean up. The month long event aims to get communities together to tackle the tide of litter and Oxfordshire councils are lending their support.

Working together as Oxfordshire Waste Partnership (OWP), local councils are lending litter-picking equipment to anyone who wants to organise a clean up of their area and will also take away any litter and recyclables after the event.

Figures released by Keep Britain Tidy, organisers of the national Big Tidy Up, reveal that council taxpayers in the UK fork out £500m a year to clean the streets. With over 30 million tonnes of litter collected from our streets each year this massive problem needs tackling.

While the focus of the Big Tidy Up will be to lose the litter, with much of it being recyclable cans, plastic bottles and paper, everyone is encouraged to separate as much as they can for recycling.

Oxfordshire councils already work hard to keep the county looking clean, and with 94% of areas above acceptable levels of cleanliness, Oxfordshire is already one of the cleanest parts of the country to live. Efforts will now be focussed on the remaining problem areas that fall below standard.

Almost three quarters of Oxfordshire residents are satisfied with the cleanliness of their local area, but Oxfordshire Waste Partnership hopes that September's "Big Tidy Up" will further increase satisfaction. The positive actions of community minded individuals should highlight problems areas to other residents, and encourage them to start disposing their litter properly.

Councillor John Tanner, chair of Oxfordshire Waste Partnership, says: "We can all do our bit in September by not dropping litter and picking up the rubbish left by other people. Cleaner streets and parks in Oxfordshire look good and save taxpayers' money.

"Community led clean ups can make a real difference. Oxford City Council's support of Oxford Civic Society's OxClean event earlier this year, for example, helped to collect a massive 11.5 tonnes of litter over the course of one weekend."

Councillor Tanner adds: "Visit the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership website to find out how you can take part in the Big Tidy Up. Why not join an event in your area or even organise a rubbish clear-up yourself."

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