Litter Picking

Eltham Common

Saturday, 9th May 2026

What a beautiful, sunny morning we had for our May Litter Picking session.  The sun was shining, the weather was warm, and our plan was to litter pick in what is, arguably, one of the most relaxing spaces to pick - the woods of Eltham Common.

Kitted up and ready for action!

Kitted out in Hi-Vis vests, with rings, bags and pickers handed out, we split into two groups: one group started by picking in and around the car park, working their way out past Christchurch School and along the edge of the woodland on Shooters Hill.  The second group started by picking down from the steps in Severndroog Car Park to focus on litter collection on the common itself.

Our priority is always to collect as much litter as possible on the common before it actually blows into the woods, where it could harm the wildlife and damage the soil structure.  Usually, we manage to clear litter from the common quickly then spend the rest of the session within the first 20 metres or so of the woods itself.  However, today was exceptional in that all 8 volunteers remained on the edge of the woodland for the 2 full hours, picking cigarette ends, sweet wrappers, torn packaging, much of it now reduced to tiny pieces.

Additionally, we found the usual bottles and cans, one buried tyre which will need to wait for now and, strangest of all, about 20 plastic litre-bottles of yellow liquid, hidden within the woods beneath a tree which we discovered on our return to base.  Why?

Still smiling - bags have been collected and another successful litter pick is over!

As always, thank you to our volunteers for their commitment to protecting the woodlands.