A cleaner, greener borough

In October 2017, we launched our first Big Clean Up event. During a series of activities, council officers, volunteers, partners, councillors and staff went out to tidy areas around the borough.

While Big Clean Ups were paused due to the pandemic, they started again in July 2021 and have since taken place in Brick Lane, Wapping and the Isle of Dogs.

Our thanks to everyone who has taken part so far and to all our partners for hosting events.
We will now be supporting organisations, businesses and local resident groups to organise litter picks and other public realm improvements.

Get involved in a clean-up or organise your own

Businesses/organisations

If your business/organisation would like to organise and get involved in a litter pick, please contact our Environmental Coordination Team to:

• discuss your idea
• offer your help or
• request loan equipment from the council

Please fill in the community litter pick form at least 20 working days before your next available date. Please leave your contact details so we can get in touch.

Residents

If you are a resident who would like to get involved in a litter pick or volunteer, you can join one of the activities already happening in our borough (in the upcoming events section) or request to loan equipment from the council.

Please fill in the community litter pick form at least 20 working days before your next available date. Please leave your contact details so we can get in touch.

If you are planning to hold your own activity, please consider your group’s safety. We suggest you consider the guidance provided by our preferred partners at Keep Britain Tidy or Clean Up Uk.

Upcoming cleaning activities and events

If you would like to include your activity on our diary please email teamec@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

You can also join one of our Communities Engagement Days across the borough, where you can meet members of our Community Safety Team, Police Safer Neighbourhood Teams and community safety partners to report any issues and seek advice.

Check their engagement diary.

If you would like to join a group operating in your local area, please contact one of the following groups:

• The Canal and River Trust
  Canal & River Trust | Wellbeing for everyone
  
  
• WaSh Wombles
  WaSh Womble Linktree
  
  
• Stepney Wombles
  WaSh Wombles Linktree
  
  
• Surfers Against Sewage
  Surfers Against Sewage
  
  
• Keep Britain Tidy
  Keep Britain Tidy
  
  
• Clean Up UK
  Clean Up UK

Littering

Be considerate of others. Keep your streets clean by taking your litter home or using a litter bin. Do not throw rubbish onto pavements, roads or public/green open spaces.

Built-up litter, even single solitary pieces, make an area look run down. It is also expensive to manage. The council spends large amounts of taxpayers’ money to ensure the borough’s streets are kept clean. Littering is a constant problem we can do without.

Litter can be anything from a sweet wrapper or cigarette butt to a bag of rubbish. The size does not matter. Typical littered items are cigarette butts, sweet wrappers, crisp packets, apple cores, drink cans and plastic bags.

If your street has a lot of litter, you can report it by calling the customer contact centre on 020 7364 5000. Please note that the council is not responsible for maintaining litter on private land, including the many housing associations operating in our borough.

Litter enforcement

Littering is any time someone leaves rubbish in public spaces, including:

• on streets
• in parks
• in water, or
• by leaving rubbish on benches or other street furniture

Litter can be small! The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 included cigarette butts, chewing gum, and wrappings in the definition of litter.

If you are caught littering in the street, you could get a fixed penalty notice (FPN) of £80. The case will go to court if you do not pay the FPN.

The maximum fine for littering is £2,500 and can result in a criminal record.

Street cleansing

It is the council’s responsibility to ensure that all the streets in the borough are kept clean and safe. Street cleansing operations are carried out by the council.

Streets are cleaned under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. There are set schedules for the streets to be cleaned, but they also are expected to be kept at an acceptable standard outside of the schedules.

Street cleansing includes:

• emptying of all litter bins
• reporting damaged bins and street furniture
• removal of all litter, dirt, debris, leaves

If a dirty street is reported, the council aims to clean it up within 24 hours. Check the code of practice for more information on the council’s street cleansing duties.

Play your part, report it

The council’s customer contact centre is available for you to:

• ask questions about street cleansing or litter
• report dirty streets
  • overflowing litter bins
  • graffiti
  • dumped rubbish

If you have a complex street scene issue that needs investigating, please contact our friendly Environmental Coordination Team at teamec@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

Report a need for street cleaning

Report on the go!

Find it Fix it app (previously known as Love Your Neighbourhood)

You have the power to improve your neighbourhood daily with the Find it Fix it app.

Available to download on Google Play and the Apple App Store, you can improve your neighbourhood at the touch of a button:

• report any issues you think needs our attention
• receive updates on any request sent in through the app
• share anything you love in Tower Hamlets
• find out about the air quality for your area and all about our Breathe Clean campaign
• check your waste and recycling collection times and find out location details of all recycling banks in Tower Hamlets
• experience a variety of events happening in the borough
• get information on road closures and layout changes
• have your say on what happens in Tower Hamlets through consultations
• follow us on social media and sign up to newsletters.