You will be not only be supporting Keep Scotland Beautiful’s #SpringCleanScotland, which runs until 24 April this year, but will also be backing the council’s very own It’s Your Place campaign.

Across South Lanarkshire there are many litter picking groups assisting the council cope with the growth of littering and fly-tipping in recent years.

One such group is the Hamilton and Blantyre Litter Pickers.

The group’s Chairperson Julie Dickson said: “Our group was started in 2020 by a man called Chris Hatton. We now have more than 1000 members.

“Over the years, as well as the usual litter you would expect thoughtless people to have discarded, we have found everything from car bumpers to animal skulls.

“We are all volunteers with a single goal to clear our towns of litter.

“There are regular litter picking events so anyone wishing to volunteer can simply go to the event section on our Facebook page to sign up.”

You can also register your own clean up or find one to join on the Clean Up Scotland map with additional info on the Litter Hub

Colin Reid, the council’s Grounds and Waste Services Operations Manager, said: “The group not only makes a huge positive impact on the environment but also creates a sense of community pride in the areas they work in.

“We are delighted that so many volunteers are out there regularly helping us with the unenviable job of clearing up after a small minority of people in our communities who think that littering and fly-tipping is acceptable.”

The council has more information for local communities and volunteer groups as well as a community clean up form.

The council provides bags and litter sticks as well as arranging for the uplift of the bags once the local clean-up has been completed.

For more information please go to our Bins and recycling pages.