It’s The Great Big Green Week - a nationwide celebration of community action to tackle climate change – and Barking and Dagenham Council is launching the next phase of its Cleaner, Greener campaign.
The east London council is asking residents to work with them and do their bit to help keep the borough at its best by:
• getting rid of rubbish the right way, reducing waste, recycling more and putting the correct rubbish into the right waste bins
• keeping front gardens tidy and not littering anywhere
• reporting fly-tipping and neighbourhood issues
• getting involved in community activity like litter picks and taking care of local green spaces.
As part of the campaign, the council has launched a new A to Z guide to waste and recycling on their website, to make it easier for residents to know how to dispose of their waste correctly. And residents can take part in a short quiz to test their knowledge of the borough’s waste and recycling services for the chance to win a £25 supermarket voucher.
There’s also a free family open day at Eastbrookend Country Park on Saturday 17 June (11am to 3pm), where residents can take part in fun activities to learn more about sustainability and benefit from freebies like compost bins and bicycle repairs.
The council is looking to continue increasing the number of residents it teams up with to take care of green spaces through initiatives like the Friends of Parks Groups. Local people can join a group, or set up their own, and work with the council’s Citizens Alliance Network Team to host litter picks, community picnics and nature walks. Groups can also explore opportunities to improve infrastructure and biodiversity in parks.
The borough’s schools have also been invited to join in the council’s campaign and to share the work they’re doing to educate children and inspire change in the community.
Councillor Kashif Haroon, Cabinet Member for Public Realm & Climate Change, Councillor Saima Ashraf, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Community Leadership & Engagement, and Councillor Syed Ghani, Cabinet Member for Community Safety & Enforcement, are part of a working group driving the campaign. The councillors issued a campaign video calling on residents to work with them.
Councillor Haroon said: “We’re working harder than ever across all services to make Barking and Dagenham a cleaner, greener place to live, but it’s important that everyone plays their part.
“We need everyone to get the basics right – simple things like reducing waste, getting rid of rubbish the right way and reporting fly-tipping will help to keep the borough at its best.
“It’s only by working together that we’ll create a safe, clean and green environment for our children and future generations.”