A LITTER picking challenge is set to make a return this year and organisers are calling on residents to take part in the month-long campaign to clean up Dorset's streets.

Litter Free Dorset said it has teamed up with the Preventing Plastic Pollution project to provide 250 people from Dorset with litter picking equipment for the month-long challenge in May. In return for taking part in the litter-picking challenge, participants will be able to keep hold of the equipment for future litter picks.

Residents can sign up to take part in the Litter Free Dorset Challenge now and when all 250 spaces available have been taken, sign-up will close. Participants will be able to choose a challenge and in return receive a litter picker, high vis vest and weighing scales.

Participants will be able choose how they wish to collect litter and can either take part in a '10-times' challenge, where they pick up litter in their local area 10 times over the course of May. Participants could also opt for the '10-minute daily' challenge, whilst others could sign up to complete the '10-hour' challenge, where they litter pick for 10 hours in one day.

Read more: Investigation launched into Lidl cargo spill as items still washing up along coast

Sophie Colley, Coordinator of Litter Free Dorset said: “We’re excited to be running the Litter Free Dorset Challenge again this year. 120 brilliant volunteers took part in last year’s challenge. In total they collected approximately one ton of litter – the equivalent weight of a baby humpback whale! With double the number of participant spaces available in this year’s challenge, we’re hoping we’ll be able to double the amount of litter collected!”

By extracting plastics and other materials from our local streets and greenspaces before wind and rain carry them into our waterways and out to sea, you’ll be making a difference to your local area, while also protecting and maintaining Dorset’s excellent bathing water quality and the marine life within it.

Amanda Arnold, Preventing Plastic Pollution Researcher said: “We are really pleased to be supporting the Litter Free Dorset Challenge again in 2022. The more information gathered by volunteers on the types and quantities of litter in our environment, the better our ability to identify where it is coming from and the more likely we can create lasting solutions to stem the flow of plastics entering our rivers and seas.”

Read more: Want to do beach cleans but don’t have the equipment? Look no further

Alongside the challenge, Litter Free Dorset is encouraging participants and challenge supporters to join the Litter Free Dorset Challenge Facebook group. This will be used for participants to share their challenge progress and to also receive support.

Mother and son, Sonja and Marley participated in last year’s Litter Free Dorset Challenge. Sonja said: “Myself and Marley took part in the Litter Free Dorset Challenge last year. Marley who is 7 years old took up litter picking during the pandemic and loved taking part in this challenge. He did 10 litter picks throughout June and collected a lot of rubbish. He had fun being part of a collective challenge and enjoyed keeping track of how much it all weighed.”