Imagine being the pick of the litter

Published on 20 March 2018

Right now MidCoast Council is looking for everyday heroes to register for ‘Picitup’, a new initiative empowering locals to help keep our community clear of litter.

Through this important new program, locals are encouraged to collect rubbish from our parks, streets and beaches on their daily walks or weekend outings, or to arrange group clean-up days through their sporting or social interest groups.

Any resident aged over 12 years can register to take part, and will be eligible for a free ‘Picitup’ Litter Kit, containing a handmade Boomerang shoulder-bag, four litter sacks, two pairs of gloves and a booklet to record what litter is picked up.  

“Our focus is very much about getting people to think about waste in a different way”, explained John Cavanagh, MidCoast Council’s Manager Waste Health and Regulatory Services. “With the new ‘Picitup’ initiative, we’re encouraging residents to tackle public litter head on, by picking it up instead of walking straight past”.

Litter remains an on-going challenge across Australia, with five pieces of litter on our beaches for every Australian resident.

“Taking part in ‘Picitup’ and putting litter you’ve collected in public or household bins not only means it ends up in the right place, you’ll help stop it from blocking our street drains and polluting our rivers and beaches”, John added.

Residents cleaning-up the MidCoast community will also be part of a bigger regional effort with Kempsey, Bellingen, Nambucca, Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie-Hastings Councils also promoting the ‘Picitup’ program.

“We’re partnering with Midwaste Regional Waste Forum, who will coordinate the program and collect your data to help plan future litter prevention projects”, John said. “Our region is known for its natural beauty, so we’re encouraging locals to embrace the initiative to help keep the MidCoast beautiful”.

‘Picitup’ kits are available for free at MidCoast Council’s Forster, Gloucester, Taree, Tea Gardens and Stroud Customer Service Centres during normal business hours.

Applicants must be aged 12 years or over, and must register to participate with a valid email address. Only one Litter Kit can be provided to each applicant. For more information, visit www.midwaste.org.au/picitup

“Re-imagine Waste” is part of MidCoast Council’s commitment to managing waste responsibly across the MidCoast region.