After discussions at the end of our last Public Meeting, Calton Community Council was keen to seek out guidance on how individuals and informal groups can do litter picking in their area. We spoke to the council who offered guidance in the form of the “Getting Started Booklet” or from the “Keep Scotland Beautiful- Clean up Scotland info pack”. Both of these are attached at the end of this post.
At the moment there are four community hubs in Calton which include:
- Bridgeton Community Learning Campus,
- Thenue Communities
- West of Scotland Housing Association
- Wheatley Group(Self-Funded Hub).
There are also plans for another Hub to be stored at Outlier café on London Rd. To book a kit, you can contact your local community hub at the following link: Community Hub Locations. Alternatively, you can complete the form at the end of this post.
We also asked the following questions, and you can read the council’s response below:
Are there regulations concerning litter picking in public areas?
Members of the public can pick litter in public spaces, including parks and open spaces. It is important that groups complete the attached community group service request form (also available at the end of this post), so events are registered. Litter picking on private spaces requires the land owners permission. It is advised not to pick litter on the road or at the water’s edge. It is also recommended to have public liability insurance and perform a risk assessment prior to the event.
- The great fear in litter picking is that drug paraphernalia might inadvertently be collected, causing injury. Is there guidance on this aspect?
Please follow the guidance within the Keeping You Safe section within the NIV Getting Started Booklet. If an area has clearly visible drug paraphernalia then is should be avoided and another site identified. Individuals or groups are recommended to carry out a risk assessment/site inspection prior to litter picking. You should not risk your own safety by attempting to touch or remove drug-related litter: needles and syringes etc. If you have identified this as an imminent risk, please contact your council for advice, or Needles should be reported to the Needle uplift number 0141 287 9700.
- Is there guidance on whether to put bottles etc for recycling or to landfill?
Refuse collected in black bags goes through the processers at the Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre (GRREC) / Polmadie diverting 200,000 tonnes of the city’s waste from landfill
- Are there recommendations as to attire, eg HV vest, gloves?
The Getting Started booklet and Keep Scotland Beautiful- Clean up Scotland info pack provide information on Guide to staying safe. As a Good Practice volunteers should wear a High Visibility vest, use Personal Gloves or disposable gloves and wear sturdy shoes.
- Are there recommendations as to equipment?
Litter picking mainly involves using a Litter picker, sometimes a bag hoop to keep the bag open, High visibility vests, refuse bags and, disposable gloves
- Is there a duty of care on people organising litter picks or do people participate at their own risk?
The Getting Started booklet and Keep Scotland Beautiful- Clean up Scotland info pack provide a useful guide to keeping safe. People are responsible for their own Health & Safety. Glasgow City Council no longer provides Public Liability Insurance to volunteers and groups taking part in clean-up activities. If you have any concerns regarding public liability insurance cover, NIES can signpost you to established groups who already have their own public liability policy in place. As always the NIES Officers are here to register events, offer support and provide safety advice. A risk assessment should be carried out prior to all events. If, however, you decide that the area you have identified carries too many risks for you and your group, it may be better to choose an alternative location for your Clean Up. You can also get advice and more information about keeping safe by visiting Health Safety Executive www.hse.gov.uk
- What is the role of NRS in these activities?
The Clean Glasgow team are part of NRS and involved with the Neighbourhood Improvement Volunteers (NIV’s) Programme, Supporting the Winter Warden Programme, Supporting the community hubs, Supporting individuals- Businesses- Community Groups and schools to organise community clean up events and organising refuse uplifts after clean up events.
Below are the aforementioned documents:
