Wiltshire Council celebrates county’s litter heroes

Wiltshire Council is thanking residents, community organisations and voluntary groups for all the fantastic work they do to help keep local areas clean and free from litter.

Voluntary litter picking plays an important role in improving the environment, enhancing local communities and promoting civic pride. So far in 2026, 275 community litter picking groups throughout Wiltshire have collected nearly 13,000kg of litter in 2,071 bags.

The council is committed to supporting these community volunteers by providing advice, equipment, and arrangements for litter collection at organised clean-up events.

However, safety must always come first, and all voluntary groups are advised to take appropriate safety precautions when taking part in a litter pick. This includes ensuring volunteers wear the correct equipment, including high-visibility clothing and gloves, and not litter picking on highways or adjacent verges where traffic poses a significant risk.

In particular, volunteers should avoid litter picking on roads with speed limits above 30mph, on high-speed rural roads, on A-roads, on country lanes, on dual carriageways or in locations with restricted visibility.

Cllr Martin Smith, Cabinet Member for Streetscene, said: “We want to say thank you to each and every one of our litter heroes, who do a wonderful job in all areas of the county to keep our communities clean and Wiltshire looking beautiful.

“A fantastic 275 community litter-picking groups around the county have collected nearly 13,000kg of litter in 2,071 bags so far this year – about the weight of a double-decker bus!

“However, it’s essential that anyone picking up litter is safe while doing so. No litter is worth getting injured for.

“That’s why we’re reminding volunteers to only work in safe locations with suitable footways or wide verges, wear appropriate high-visibility clothing and protective equipment.

“We’re very grateful for the time and effort our volunteers give, and we want to ensure they can continue making a huge difference while staying safe themselves.”

When taking part in a litter pick, volunteers should:

• Only work in safe locations with suitable footways or wide verges.
• Wear appropriate high-visibility clothing and protective equipment.
• Face oncoming traffic at all times.
• Only work during daylight hours and in good visibility conditions.
• Ensure children are closely supervised and kept away from roads.
• Never attempt to collect hazardous materials such as chemicals, sharps, asbestos or fly-tipped waste. Report these to the council for specialist removal.
• Ensure there is a full risk assessment of activities.
• Have appropriate insurance and comply with its conditions.

Find out more about safe litter picking and how to take part in a community litter pick at Litter - Wiltshire Council