Keeping our communities litter-free

We’re proud to call the East of England home and we know that our communities love and care about their local areas too.

As a local, community retailer, supporting our communities is at the heart of what we do. Keeping local villages and towns litter-free is important because it helps to make the area feel more cared for. A clean, litter free area is somewhere people enjoy spending time and have pride in.

We’re proud to call the East of England home and we know that our communities love and care about their local areas too. That’s why, for the past year, we’ve been getting involved in and organising litter picks across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.

Last summer we had a fantastic time completing a series of litter picks in support of BBC Radio Suffolk’s ‘Don’t be a Tosser’ campaign.

We did six litter picks in Aldeburgh, Lavenham, Dedham, Framlingham, Beccles and Felixstowe. We also joined Proud of Mersea Volunteers on their clean-up of Mersea Island, as well as the Pickerel Project in Stowmarket, picking up rubbish left along, and in, the River Gipping.

Over the summer we collected over 60 bags of rubbish from Suffolk beauty spots.

When we go out on these clean-up missions, we’re always sad to see litter building up in the areas that we’re so proud of and we know residents feel the same. Lots of villages and towns have set up their own litter picks and it’s fantastic to see people being able to make a real difference with these initiatives.

Getting involved in litter picking is a fantastic way to get outdoors, connect with others and get some exercise. It’s not just a quick fix either, studies have shown that the less litter there is in an area, the less likely people are to litter themselves.

That’s why we’re currently taking part in, and planning, lots more litter picks and we want to get as many people involved as possible.

So far this year we’ve been to Fifers Lane in Norwich where we spent a very chilly and snowy afternoon collecting litter with local volunteers. Last month, we were also joined residents on a litter pick in Hadleigh.

We also recently teamed up with Hamford Primary Academy in Frinton-on-Sea to complete a litter pick around the local area with a class of Year 6 children. With the help of the class, we collected nine big bags of litter from around the Triangle Shopping Centre and the recreational fields.

21 June – 4 July is Co-op Fortnight and we’re going to be out in the community litter-picking once more, as well as equipping our local community with everything they need to arrange their own litter picks.

Keeping our region clean and tidy is something we’re passionate about as a co-operative, so the next step for us is doing more to raise awareness and bringing the community together to tackle the issue. Later this year, we’ll be sharing some exciting plans we’ve been working on that everyone will be able to join in with.

In the meantime, if you want to get involved in keeping your community clean and tidy, we’ve got some handy guidance for people who want to arrange their own litter picks.