A two-week cleaning purge across East Cambridgeshire saw nearly 80 tonnes of waste cleared, chewing gum removed scraped off of pavements and 200 individual cases of graffiti removed.
East Cambs District Council (ECDC), who deliver waste collection and street cleansing through their trading company East Cambs Street Scene (ECSS), used 500 individual graffiti wipes and 100 litres of water through a steam cleaner to remove graffiti by hand.
The major clean up, which also included leaf clearing, follows a week-long purge on fly-tipping in May, which saw over 40 tonnes of waste collected.
Following the purge, ECSS is encouraging residents to report any incidents of graffiti or littering on the East Cambs website, so they can be dealt with quickly.
Councillor Julia Huffer, service delivery champion for waste services at ECDC, said: “It’s been astounding to see the results of this seasonal purge on graffiti, litter and leaf cleaning.”
“I’d like to thank everyone who has been involved as they have made such an outstanding difference.
“We live a beautiful area of the country and we hope to keep it this way with the waste services being in ECSS’ control.
“It’s been a fantastic six months which have seen our very own Michael Recycle become an award winner.”
“This shows that our work to promote the importance of recycling is also recognised by our peers.”
The council is also supporting the Chewing Gum Action Group’s ‘Bin It Your Way’ campaign, which aims to help “create a cleaner, more attractive environment for residents, visitors and businesses in the area”.
To help, ECSS is using street cleansing vehicles to remove gum and litter from the district’s town centres and villages. So far, the campaign has seen a 28 per cent reduction in Ely city centre.
Councillor Anna Bailey, chair of the regulatory services committee and deputy leader of ECDC, said: “It’s crucial that residents report any graffiti or littering as and when they see it.
“This ensures our streets are kept clean and in conjunction with the police, the evidence can be used to find the perpetrators.
“It is our vision to have East Cambs remain a great place to live, work and visit, and this is one way we can help residents feel proud of where they live.”
East Cambridgeshire District Council was awarded gold at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Pride awards for the Anglia, Thames and Chiltern region in the education campaign category.
For more information visit www.eastcambs.gov.uk/content/recycling-and-waste-ecss
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