Litter-Free Lewes is a new project that aims to reduce litter and clean up our area by:

1. Carrying out regular litter pick-ups – fortnightly if possible, minimum once a month
2. Preparing educational workshops, then delivering them to local schools and colleges
3. Encouraging and helping local business to make their packaging more ‘green’ – both takeaways and supermarkets
4. Working with local authorities to improve signage and bins
5. Working with local artists to create anti-litter stencils (with respect to the local environment)
6. Tentatively looking in to bottle deposit scheme / refillable water bottle schemes

By the time this is published, the first litter pick will have taken place from Landport to Pells on Sunday 26th November. Volunteers will be clubbing together to remove litter that easily builds up on the busy route into the town centre. Lewes District Council will be providing equipment and collecting the refuse and recycling.

Milly and Sam, who live in Lancaster Street, have been inspired to start the campaign after moving to Lewes a few years ago and adopting a dog. On every dog walk, Sam has been collecting litter as he goes and they soon realised we need to involve the wider community, families and schools to change habits and provide education that reinforces what was once the norm; littering is unacceptable.

The campaign aims to be positive and inclusive, without appearing too dictatorial. We want to find ways to engage young people, by either working with local colleges and universities, or delivering interactive workshops in local schools. One idea is to involve local artists to create more stimulating art/stencils/signs that carry the ‘no littering’ message. We also want to start conversations with local businesses about cleaning up their act (Tesco, for example) and reducing or finding greener solutions to their takeaway packaging (encouraging the usual British takeaway favourites to change plastic to card or use paper bags instead of plastic carrier bags). Another point is that there are signs everywhere for dog mess and the fines that go with it, but nothing warning people of littering and the repercussions.

Please let us know if you’d like to get involved, join a litter pick or think you could help create an engaging workshop to be delivered in schools. Join the Litter-Free Lewes Facebook group for regular updates.

Rubbish collected near Tesco and on Southover High Street.