Litter picking initiative
Your Ramblers group has set up a team of volunteers to pick up rubbish on the Maldon District public footpaths, the coastal path and other green spaces that we often use.
If you would like to join the group, please contact JP by email at [email protected].
We can provide you with the necessary equipment such as litter pickers, bag holders, bags, high visibility jackets.
Please note that this equipment is and remains the property of the Maldon District Council and it will have to be handed back whenever the Waste Services Dept requires it.
We are planning to meet once a month, on the second Monday of the month, starting at 10:00 a.m and finishing at 12:00am. In case of severe weather, the meeting will be rolled to the following Monday and you will be advised accordingly. Subject to demand, we can also meet on ad hoc basis.
At this hour, all the rubbish we collect goes into the same bag whether the rubbish is recyclable or not. The District Council will arrange to pick up the bags within 24 hours.
Going forward, we shall attempt to segregate the recyclables from the waste.
The next meeting dates for this year (2026) are :-
January 12th
February 9th
March 9th
Meeting place will be advised in due course to the team members.
Your Ramblers group has set up a team of volunteers to pick up rubbish on the Maldon District public footpaths, the coastal path and other green spaces that we often use.
If you would like to join the group, please contact JP by email at [email protected].
We can provide you with the necessary equipment such as litter pickers, bag holders, bags, high visibility jackets.
Please note that this equipment is and remains the property of the Maldon District Council and it will have to be handed back whenever the Waste Services Dept requires it.
We are planning to meet once a month, on the second Monday of the month, starting at 10:00 a.m and finishing at 12:00am. In case of severe weather, the meeting will be rolled to the following Monday and you will be advised accordingly. Subject to demand, we can also meet on ad hoc basis.
At this hour, all the rubbish we collect goes into the same bag whether the rubbish is recyclable or not. The District Council will arrange to pick up the bags within 24 hours.
Going forward, we shall attempt to segregate the recyclables from the waste.
The next meeting dates for this year (2026) are :-
January 12th
February 9th
March 9th
Meeting place will be advised in due course to the team members.
December 2024 and January 2025 Litter Picks.
A significant amount of rubbish had been spotted by a member of the team in a wooded area lying between Tesco Maldon Car Park and the canal. 6 volunteers met on December 16th to try and clear it up.
Within a couple of hours, we filled 20 sacks and deposited them next to TESCO’s recycling zone. We also pulled out of the area separating the recycling zone and McDonald’s drive through a number of items, impossible to place in bags , such as two 50Litre jerrycans (full), a broken chair, a curtain rail and a small gas cylinder. See photo 1 below.
Maldon District Council‘s Waste Services arranged for a timely and orderly collection of these items.
We also spotted further along the canal a vandalised metallic fingerpost, and damaged bicycle . As we were unable to carry them across what is a busy car park, we alerted Essex Waterways who were kind enough to get them collected and disposed of.
See photo 2 below.
In spite of all the above efforts, there was still a lot of litter left lying around when we went home and decided to give it another go after the festive season.
On January 13th, 3 of us reconvened and within a couple of hours we filled 8 sacks.
See photo 3.
Again, MDC Waste Services arranged for the timely collection and disposal of the rubbish.
Sadly, we could not reach a lot of litter due to overgrown vegetation (bramble and blackthorn in particular). See photo 4 below.
Until the vegetation is cut back and removed by the landowner or party responsible, we won’t be able to return.
Within a couple of hours, we filled 20 sacks and deposited them next to TESCO’s recycling zone. We also pulled out of the area separating the recycling zone and McDonald’s drive through a number of items, impossible to place in bags , such as two 50Litre jerrycans (full), a broken chair, a curtain rail and a small gas cylinder. See photo 1 below.
Maldon District Council‘s Waste Services arranged for a timely and orderly collection of these items.
We also spotted further along the canal a vandalised metallic fingerpost, and damaged bicycle . As we were unable to carry them across what is a busy car park, we alerted Essex Waterways who were kind enough to get them collected and disposed of.
See photo 2 below.
In spite of all the above efforts, there was still a lot of litter left lying around when we went home and decided to give it another go after the festive season.
On January 13th, 3 of us reconvened and within a couple of hours we filled 8 sacks.
See photo 3.
Again, MDC Waste Services arranged for the timely collection and disposal of the rubbish.
Sadly, we could not reach a lot of litter due to overgrown vegetation (bramble and blackthorn in particular). See photo 4 below.
Until the vegetation is cut back and removed by the landowner or party responsible, we won’t be able to return.
Litter picking, 3 years on !
Activity report for the past 12 months (November 24 to October 25)
The group has been relatively stable with a total of 10 members.
On one hand we had one Rambler dropping out of the team.
And on the other a new person joining in (albeit not a rambler)
We continue to operate on the same principle. We meet on the 2nd Monday of the month from 10 to 12.
Our equipment is provided by MDC Waste Services, and once we are finished for the morning, Waste Services will arrange for the collection of the rubbish that we brought together for disposal.
In numbers, we averaged 5 persons per session and collected a total of 120 bags in a year or 10 per session.
A quick comparison with previous years
Period. Average Turn Out. Total # bags collected. Average per session
22/23. 6 104. 8.5
23/24. 5.5 113. 9
24/25. 5. 120. 10
Besides the rubbish bags, we continue to collect exotic items that cannot be bagged such as traffic cones, traffic signs, wheels, furniture, advertising boards.
In July 2025 we organised two special litter picking days for E Surv , a company of surveyors.
Both days were attended by 10 employees and we collected 12 bags of litter from Wickes Nature Reserve and 11 from Heybridge.
This month we were approached by All Saints Primary School Maldon. The school are planning a litter picking day for their 90 pupils. We put them directly in contact with MDC Waste Services as we are unable to handle such a high number.
Going forward, we anticipate to continue our litter picking arrangements into the next year on the same format.
In closing, I would like to thank Chris Briggs who has kindly led the litter picking team during my lengthy absence this summer
If you are interested, please contact JP by email at [email protected] or text to 07977 980920
The group has been relatively stable with a total of 10 members.
On one hand we had one Rambler dropping out of the team.
And on the other a new person joining in (albeit not a rambler)
We continue to operate on the same principle. We meet on the 2nd Monday of the month from 10 to 12.
Our equipment is provided by MDC Waste Services, and once we are finished for the morning, Waste Services will arrange for the collection of the rubbish that we brought together for disposal.
In numbers, we averaged 5 persons per session and collected a total of 120 bags in a year or 10 per session.
A quick comparison with previous years
Period. Average Turn Out. Total # bags collected. Average per session
22/23. 6 104. 8.5
23/24. 5.5 113. 9
24/25. 5. 120. 10
Besides the rubbish bags, we continue to collect exotic items that cannot be bagged such as traffic cones, traffic signs, wheels, furniture, advertising boards.
In July 2025 we organised two special litter picking days for E Surv , a company of surveyors.
Both days were attended by 10 employees and we collected 12 bags of litter from Wickes Nature Reserve and 11 from Heybridge.
This month we were approached by All Saints Primary School Maldon. The school are planning a litter picking day for their 90 pupils. We put them directly in contact with MDC Waste Services as we are unable to handle such a high number.
Going forward, we anticipate to continue our litter picking arrangements into the next year on the same format.
In closing, I would like to thank Chris Briggs who has kindly led the litter picking team during my lengthy absence this summer
If you are interested, please contact JP by email at [email protected] or text to 07977 980920