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Council takes on plastic pollution with community beach clean

Andrew Gilbert

Andrew Gilbert

Posted on 07 February 2018

Allerdale Borough Council has been tackling plastic pollution and littering in Workington with a community beach clean that took place on Monday 5 February.

Staff and volunteers collected a total of 48 bin liners of rubbish, plus a number of plastic crates, discarded lobster pots and large plastic drums throughout the morning. The majority of the rubbish that was picked up were plastic drinks bottles. 

Some of the Council’s key priorities are to maintain a safe and clean environment, and ensure our towns are attractive and welcoming, which includes carrying out regular clean-ups across the area. To reduce the impact that plastic has on the environment, Allerdale residents are urged to reuse their plastic bottles, or recycle plastic by either using their purple recycling bags or by visiting a Household Waste Recycling Centre. 

The clean-up was organised by Workington Nature Partnership Officer, Raegan Blacker. She said: “It was a very successful day, especially with the weather on our side. It’s great to see a real mix of people taking part. We’ve had some new faces join us this time, as well as some of our regular volunteers. Littering and plastic pollution is an important issue, and there has been a particular increase in community clean-ups recently, so it’s great to see more and more people take an interest and help out. We plan to do plenty more of them in the future.”

If you spot any litter, it can be reported to Allerdale Borough Council through the ‘myAllerdale’ app. If you are in need of any additional purple recycling bags, residents can request more by calling 0303 123 1702 or they can be collected from the local Council area offices in Workington, Cockermouth, Keswick, Maryport or Wigton. 


1.    For more information contact 01900 702526, corp.comms@allerdale.gov.uk 
2.    The Workington Nature Partnership is a joint initiative between Allerdale Borough Council and Workington Town Council, designed to support the natural environment in and around Workington by undertaking a wide range of conservation activities on the town’s nature reserves, parks, open spaces, woodlands and access networks. 
3.    Household Waste Recycling Centres are run by Cumbria County Council. There are a number of centres in Allerdale – their locations can be found at: https://www.cumbria.gov.uk/planning-environment/waste-management/servicesincumbria/hwrcs/hwrc.asp 
4.    Photography includes: Raegan Blacker who organised the clean-up, the volunteers who participated and some of the bags of waste collected.