Crawfordsburn Primary School Eco Council students Ellen Morrow, Rhea White, Orlaith Megaw, Hannah Grant, Jay Reid, Lewis Morrow and Tony Galbraith with Paul Fisher (Ards and North Down Borough Council Recycling and Waste Minimisation Officer), Mr Sullivan (Acting Principal) and Alderman Bill Keery, Mayor of Ards and North Down.

New litter picking packs produced thanks to savings made from the recycling efforts of local residents and businesses through Ards and North Down Borough Council’s Recycling Community Investment Fund (RCIF) have already been used by more than 500 volunteers since they were introduced at the start of April!

The packs have been made available to local community groups and schools who want to organise litter picks within the Ards and North Down area, helping to clean up our borough and make it a better place to live in.

Each litter picking pack contains 20 litter pickers, 20 hi-visibility vests, gloves and bags for recyclable waste as well as bags for general waste.

The bespoke packs have been made from upcycled Council advertising banners and in the two months since the scheme’s inception, almost 20 local groups – including schools, Girl Guides and other community groups - have used the Council created litter-picking packs.

Crawfordsburn Primary School’s ‘Eco Council’ is one such group that has welcomed the availability of the litter picking packs. The student-run council help to keep the school litter free, are engaged with the school’s recycling efforts and keep their peers up-to-date with recycling information.

“Organised litter picks are a great way for community groups and schools to show their pride for the borough,” said Alderman Bill Keery, Mayor of Ards and North Down. “Educating everyone about the importance of disposing waste in the correct bins is essential and it’s fantastic to see the young students at Crawfordsburn Primary School so keen to do their bit for the environment.”

The introduction of litter picking packs to the borough is the result of the Council’s Recycling Community Investment Fund - a scheme that is powered by the recycling efforts of local residents and businesses.

It costs the Council half as much to recycle waste compared to the cost of sending it to landfill. Thanks to an increased amount of recycling by the local community, almost £15m has been saved in landfill costs since the programme’s inception.

These savings have allowed the Council to create the RCIF which supports new and existing environmentally friendly initiatives such as the community litter picking packs.

Local community groups and schools wishing to avail of the packs can book them for free by emailing enforcement@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk or contact the Neighbourhood Environment Team on 0300 013 3333.