Dropping litter is a serious crime, to the law and to the environment. Not only could you be fined a lot of money for littering, but it also hurts the environment and wildlife. Plastics and other non-biodegradable materials are the main cause of this disruption because they never go back into the cycle of nature, or they take a very long time. The average cost per household for keeping the streets clear of rubbish is around £28 per year (Litter and littering in England 2017 to 2018) even with litter pickers doing a lot to help out. In Scotland, litter-pickers now collect an average of 1,963 pieces of litter per kilometre (Zero Waste Scotland).

We found a lot of things that could have been recycled, like plastic bottles and metal cans. Here are a few things to consider when litter picking: 

• Be careful of rusty cans or broken glass. 

• De-risk things that could hurt wildlife further down the line (for example if what you put in the bin finds its way to the sea) such as cutting the rings of plastic drinks holders. 

• If you can, then do separate what you find into what can and can’t be recycled. 

• If something that could be recycled is really muddy then you can either clean it or put it in the general waste bin bag so that it doesn't contaminate the recyclables.

Among the bits of boring rubbish, we found some cool things too. We found a pair of flip flops, two tennis balls, a hippo toy, a paint roller, roller tray and paintbrush, a car engine, an unopened packet of popcorn, two and a half ceramic bowls, an empty toolbox, two small baskets and a bigger basket, plus lots more. So it was very well worth it just for the treasures I found, plus I did my bit to help the environment. This is what it looked like after we’d cleaned it up - I think we did a pretty good job! In total it took me two and a half days and we filled five bags; two recycling and three bin bags.