Celebrate the natural beauty of Devon’s coast & countryside – Young artist competition

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Clean Devon is not just about litter, sometimes we like to remind ourselves what a fantastic part of the world we live and the joy that litter free landscapes provide.

Devon’s Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has launched it’s annual ‘Best Young Landscape Artist Competition 2023’. If you are aged between 7 – 18yrs, anything goes and the winner will receive £100. Closing date 30th September 2023.

For more details visit the CPRE website.

Land or property owner? – Avoid waste criminals

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Are you a land or property owner?

If so, you might be at risk from waste criminals illegally dumping waste on your premises.

Find out how you can protect yourself and your premises and avoid waste criminals in this Environment Agency blog.

 

The Devon Local Nature Partnership wants your views

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‘Devon has experienced a huge deterioration in the health of our environment due to complex factors such as habitat loss, pesticides, disease, pollution and climate change.’

To help reverse these declines, Devon is developing a Local Nature Recovery Strategy working with all local partners through the Devon Local Nature Partnership (LNP)

The LNP wants your views on what you want from the strategy.

To find out more visit Devon Local Nature Partnership

Fly Tipping

Using apps to dispose of waste: know the risks

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‘Finding someone to take away your waste via an app may be convenient but choosing the wrong person could lead to fly-tipping, dumping and the illegal export of waste abroad.’

Apps offering waste disposal services are a new and emerging risk – make sure you know your duty of care obligations.

This Environment Agency release will help you find a legitimate waste operator, particularly for online services.

Clean Devon take action against beach litter

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On Monday 29 May, the Clean Devon partnership, together with Ruda Holiday Park which is owned by Parkdean Resorts, and Plastic Free North Devon (PFND), came together for a day of action to raise awareness about the impact of beach littering on our coastlines and to encourage people to play their part in keeping our beaches clean.

The aim of the event was to prevent a repeat of the large-scale littering that took place last year on Croyde Beach in North Devon and to remind individuals of their responsibility to take only pictures and leave only footprints. This message applies to all coastlines across Devon.

The action day featured a staged litter pile; showing the types of litter commonly cleared by the Ruda team, advice and information, and a community litter pick, where enthusiastic and passionate beach users joined in to deep clean the beach removing a staggering 31.14KG of litter.

Principal Waste Manager from Devon County Council and Clean Devon Co-ordinator, Annette Dentith, says: “On behalf of Clean Devon, I would like to express my thanks to the exceptional volunteers who dedicated their time and effort to conduct the clean-up. Many bags were filled with various items, including bottles, cans, polystyrene from broken bodyboards, netting, wrappers, takeaway packaging and much more. It was also great to hear from enthusiastic locals and holiday makers who already play their part to protect the natural beauty of our environment, recognising the negative and harmful impacts of litter in the marine environment.

“The battle against beach litter is far from over but by raising awareness and demonstrating our commitment as a partnership, we hope to encourage more people to consider their impact when visiting the beach.”

Lead Member for Waste and Recycling at North Devon Council, Cllr David Knight, says: “By collectively taking action, we can all ensure that future generations can relish in the beauty and tranquillity of our coastlines. North Devon is known for its stunning coastal beauty and as a partnership, we aimed to encourage individuals to take responsibility for their rubbish and dispose of it responsibly. Education can help individuals understand and appreciate the impact they have on an environment, when they leave rubbish and unwanted items behind. Following on from the many conversations I had with members of the public who participated, I believe the day was a great success.

Clean Devon is calling upon everyone to embrace their role as ambassadors of the environment, spreading the message of preservation and respect for the cherished beaches we all enjoy.

Individuals are encouraged to keep their eyes peeled for media captured on the day which will be shared on partner social channels following the event.

Running alongside Clean Devon’s anti beach litter campaign, PFND is holding it’s ‘visitor campaign’ this summer, for its fifth consecutive year. The campaign offers free resources and support for local businesses to operate sustainably and encourages visitors to do the same. For more information and to get involved, please visit PFND’s website.