Spring Clean 2008

 

achievement

 

Spring Clean 2008 was initiated and coordinated by Oxford Civic Society in partnership with Oxford City Council, The Oxford Times and local groups/schools. The event took place on Friday 15th, Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th March with volunteers and City Council staff working together in a city-wide clean up. It was heartily endorsed by The Lord Lieutenant, The Lord Mayor and other city leaders.

 

This inaugural event was an impressive demonstration of commitment to a cleaner Oxford, community spirit and civic pride.

• ninety four community groups , schools and businesses organised two hour litter picks at locations of their choice
• an estimated fifteen hundred highly motivated , good humoured volunteers took part
• geographic coverage of the city was good
• a wide variety of groups participated – including residents’ associations, youth groups, church congregations, student union members, allotment associations, canoeists, environmental groups, Rhodes Scholars and boat dwellers

 

Considerable inroads were made into the litter and rubbish lying and blowing around our city with huge quantities of litter (equivalent to seven hundred household collections) and scrap (3000kg) being removed. A satisfactory recycling ratio of 33% was achieved.

 

Oxford City Council delivered a complex logistical exercise. They distributed large quantities of equipment pre litter pick (170 wheelie bins, 14 boxes, x 152 plastic sack rolls, 600 gloves, 250 litter pickers),provided prompt roadside pick up post litter pick, handled a lot of unexpected scrap, retrieved hazardous waste & syringe, and sorted for recycling.

 

Public awareness of the litter problem was significantly heightened by extensive coverage in The Oxford Times, Oxford Mail and Oxford Star – and, TV and radio coverage of the event.

 

the event
Newsletter issue no 109 (March 2008) describes the event and some of the outcomes.