Let’s keep Buckinghamshire tidy!

As Buckinghamshire gets ready to welcome back local businesses from Monday 12 April, Buckinghamshire Council is reminding residents to keep the county clean, tidy and safe for everyone to use.

From Monday 12 April, Buckinghamshire’s local town centre and high street businesses will be re-opening their doors. As footfall in these popular public spaces is likely to increase with residents and visitors keen to support local shops, cafes and small and independent businesses, Buckinghamshire Council would also like to encourage residents to play their part in keeping Buckinghamshire tidy.

During lockdown, the county’s town centres and high streets saw a vast reduction in litter and this is something the council would like to see continue. Reduced footfall into these local hubs has given Buckinghamshire Council’s street cleansing teams the chance to carry out enhanced cleansing including gum removal, pressure washing and cleaning of street furniture. As the town centres start to reopen, residents are kindly reminded to maintain the cleanliness standards of these areas.

Here’s three top tips for Buckinghamshire’s residents and visitors:

1. Use the bins provided. This one is pretty self-explanatory and is the easiest way residents can help keep local areas clean, tidy and safe for everyone to use. And remember, absence of a bin does not excuse littering.
2. Take your rubbish with you and recycle at home. If there isn’t a bin nearby, or the bin is already full, please take your rubbish with you. Taking your rubbish home not only helps keep our public spaces clean but it also gives you more opportunity to recycle items such as empty drinks bottles, drinks cans and cardboard packaging.
3. When it comes to bins, if your litter isn’t in then it’s littering. Please make sure your rubbish goes inside the bin. Rubbish left on top of or next to a bin is more likely to be blown by wind causing litter in our streets and public spaces. In a survey carried out for Keep Britain Tidy by YouGov more than one in four people (27%) admitted to ‘carefully’ littering – leaving packaging behind when eating or drinking ‘on the go’, leaving a can or coffee cup on a wall or ledge, or leaving rubbish at a train station or bus stop before boarding.

Throughout Buckinghamshire, there are over 4,000 public litter bins for residents and visitors to use. Many of these bins are in the county’s town centres and are emptied at least once a day. Any overflowing bins can be reported to the council’s Street Cleansing team online at: www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/bin-collection-recycling-and-waste/report-litter-or-street-cleaning-problem

Martin Dickman, Service Director for Neighbourhood Services, said:

“Our Street Cleansing teams have been busy across Buckinghamshire making sure our local towns, high streets and public spaces are clean and tidy ready for re-opening. Making sure the county is clean and safe for everyone to use is a priority for Buckinghamshire Council and we hope the three top tips inspire residents to also play their part.

“Using the bins provided is particularly important when it comes to Covid-19 PPE. We must continue to follow the government rules to stay safe and protect Bucks, and this includes wearing a face mask/covering in indoor spaces. Please remember to dispose of any used face coverings and gloves in bins, and do not discard them on the floor. By making sure worn PPE ends up in the bin we can help stop the spread of Covid-19.”