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People power and data collection. 478527 pieces of litter so far! Join us!
If you are no longer able to make your Planet Patrol session, you can cancel your booking here citing your booking reference, which you can find in your order confirmation email. Any cancellations made within 48 hours of the event will not be refunded.
To be added to the waiting list please send us an email with your name and details of the clean up you would like to attend, with the subject line ‘Waiting list request’.
To organise a litter pick in your local area as a Planet Patrol Community Guardian check out this page for more information. You can find out more about our Community Guardian programme here.
Head over to our online shop to buy all your Planet Patrol essentials including: litter collection buckets, litter pickers for adults and kids, gloves, litter picking kits, and sustainable clothing merchandise. Find our online shop here.
No experience is needed for our paddleboarding clean ups. All Planet Patrol clean ups are led by qualified instructors who will teach you the basics before you go on the water. Equipment is also provided. Everyone is welcome at our clean ups, whether complete beginners or seasoned paddlers! If you want to learn a bit about paddleboarding before your clean up, check out this video by Planet Patrol Founder, Lizzie Outside.
Yes, everyone who signs up is provided with all the equipment needed for the session (including litter pickers, reusable gloves, bags or buckets) and everything you need for paddleboarding, canoeing, kayaking or yoga depending on the type of clean up. We recommend that you wear active wear that you can move around in and bring some water (in a reusable bottle of course).
Planet Patrol runs paddleboarding, canoeing, kayaking, yoga, parkour, plogging and fitness clean ups as well as on foot litter picks organised and led by our Community Guardians.
To find a Planet Patrol clean up near you, look at our clean up map and events listing here. Also have a look to see if there is Planet Patrol Community Guardian in your region to join your regional Facebook group to keep up to date with activity in your area and join regular litter picks.
All Planet Patrol clean ups are socially distanced and follow current government guidance relating to COVID. Read our health and safety guidelines here.
All equipment is cleaned and disinfected between clean up events. Reusable gloves, litter picks and buckets are provided to collect and sort litter so no touching is required.
You will be required to sign our clean up participant consent form before you clean up, which will be sent to you in an email after booking. If you have a temperature or a new, persistent you must follow all applicable Government guidelines and self-isolate. You must not attend the clean up if you are feeling unwell.
You can read our full litter picking health and safety during COVID here.
All of our activity based clean ups (paddleboarding, canoeing, kayaking, yoga, parkour and fitness) are for 16+. Children are welcome to attend to litter pick on land under the supervision of a parent or guardian. Please get in touch if you would like to bring children or if you are under 16 but you do not need to sign up via the website.
We require a £10 deposit to secure your spot on a clean up. If you do not attend or do not cancel your spot within 48 hours for the session you will not be refunded. If you attend the session you can request a refund up to one week after you have attended the clean up by simply contacting us. If you’d prefer to donate your deposit to support Planet Patrol’s mission then you don’t need to do anything – all contributions go directly towards our operations and any donations are hugely appreciated.
We would love to hear your feedback of your experience with Planet Patrol! You can leave us a review on our Facebook page here or rate and review the Planet Patrol app – this helps other people find and download the app so we can increase the amount of data we collect! For any other feedback or questions, drop us an email.
If you can’t make the Planet Patrol clean ups listed on our website you can still get involved by downloading our free Planet Patrol app – to join a virtual Mission or log litter wherever you are, at any time – to be part of our global community of citizen scientists.
Wear light, breathable clothing. Gym clothing is ideal and trainers or plimsolls with grip. Avoid denim.
You may want to bring a change of clothes and shoes as sometimes these get wet. Depending on the weather, bring sunscreen or apply this beforehand. You may want to bring water to stay hydrated. We strive to make all our clean ups single-use plastic free, please consider bringing reusables for any drinks. All equipment for litter picking and the activity are provided.
See our ideas, inspiration and top tips for fundraising here. Planet Patrol operates on a non-profit basis so all donations are hugely appreciated.
You can find out more about Planet Patrol’s Community Guardian Programme and how to apply here.
If you have signed up to a clean up and paid your deposit but haven’t received a confirmation email from Planet Patrol, please check in your spam / junk folder just in case the email has ended up there. If you still can’t find the email, please contact Planet Patrol’s team here.
If you have your own paddleboard, canoe, kayak or watercraft you can join a clean up without booking a spot on the website, but you must contact us in advance as you will be required to sign the clean up participant consent form prior to the clean up. We also recommend that you purchase your own insurance and waterways licence, which you can do here. Bring your own paddle and buoyancy aid. Please note that due to COVID our group sizes are currently restricted, as per government guidelines, so we are not always able to accommodate extra paddlers. It is therefore essential that you contact us to see if space is available.
To share feedback about the Planet Patrol app, either go to the menu bar in the app and click on ‘Feedback’ or share your feedback with us here.
Yes! The Planet Patrol app can be used anywhere in the world. Have a look at our ‘Litter Map’ to see where in the world our users are.
Data collected in the Planet Patrol app is analysed alongside researchers at the University of Glasgow and University of Nottingham to uncover trends and patterns. Insights are reported publicly in our annual reports and shared with relevant authorities and Government to inform and influence policy changes and improve waste management practices. You can read the reports here.
By recording the brands of litter that you collect, we are able to hold the biggest polluting brands to account and ensure they take more responsibility for the product life cycle. All of the top polluting brands recorded in the Planet Patrol app are highlighted in our public annual reports. Planet Patrol works with a number of major retailers and brands to advise on new solutions and strategies – based on insight provided by volunteers using the app – to reduce litter and increase reuse and recycling rates. We want to drive innovation and to solve the problem as quickly as possible.
You can add a photo by clicking on the button on the bottom right corner of the screen that says ‘Record your litter’. You can then either select a photo from your camera roll or take a photo in the app. Once you have taken and selected the photo, tap the photo to tag the type, brand and amount of litter.
To see the litter that you have recorded and uploaded, click on your Account profile in the menu bar in the app to see a list of your contributions. You can also zoom in and out of the global litter map to find your images. To see your position on the global leaderboard, click on ‘Leaderboard’ in the menu bar.
You don’t need to take a picture of each piece individually, but you do need to ensure that each item of litter is clearly visible in the photo (so we can verify that the information is correct). Once you have selected the photo, tap on the items on the photo to add all the types, brands and amounts that are visible in the image. Don’t take photos of bags or piles of litter where individual items are not visible – this is important as it is photographic evidence to verify the details about the types, brands and amounts you input. An example of a ‘good’ photo is shown below.
If you are experiencing problems, first check that you have the latest version of the app installed. If you have the latest version and are still having problems, please leave a message clearing explaining the problem by clicking on ‘Feedback’ in the menu bar, or here. Also try exiting the app and reopening.
We recommend that you lay out the litter items you have collected on the floor, with all items visible, then take a photo of a few items at a time. An example is shown below. Once you have selected the photo, tap on the items on the photo to add all the types, brands and amounts that are visible in the image.
Yes! This is also very important data – we want to understand exactly what items of litter are polluting the environment so we can manage and prevent pollution in the first place. Many items that you find will be unbranded or fragmented and we still need to know about this.
Yes, please do! If you don’t feel comfortable picking up litter or are unable to reach litter you have seen, you can still take a photograph and add details of the types and brands visible. The data you collect is vital evidence that brands and governments cannot ignore.
Yes, you are able to select the location that the litter was collected in, rather than the location of where you took the photo as we are aware that this might not always be the same location.
Yes, you can upload all types of litter. Plastic is not the only material that pollutes the environment and we regularly find metals, glass, ceramic and other materials on Planet Patrol. In fact in 2020, almost the same number of metal drinks cans as plastic bottles were recorded. To see the breakdown of different materials and litter types that our patrollers found in 2020, read our annual litter report here.
To find your position on our global leaderboard, click on ‘Leaderboard’ in the menu bar in the app.
To join a virtual Mission and work alongside others to reach a goal number of pieces of litter, go to the menu bar and click on ‘Missions’. Scroll through the Mission list and join any that you would like to!
Images usually take 48 hours to appear on the Litter Map as they have to be moderated first. If 48 hours have passed since your upload, follow the steps below:
Go to the menu bar, click on ‘About’
If this does not resolve the issue, please go to ‘Feedback’ in the app menu bar and describe the issue you are experiencing so our team can investigate.
Planet Patrol can organise clean ups for your company and we would love to have you involved. Find out more information and costings here and get in touch with your requirements.
You can purchase our favourite group litter picking kits on Planet Patrol’s online shop here.
See our ideas, inspiration and top tips for fundraising here. Planet Patrol operates on a non-profit basis so all donations are hugely appreciated.
Planet Patrol is a Community Interest Company (CIC), a type of charitable limited company. We are a non-profit organisation to protect, preserve and restore nature.
Planet Patrol provides talks and Q&As for companies and we would love to hear from you. Find out more information and costs here and get in touch with your requirements.
Planet Patrol takes partnerships seriously and these are all bespoke. We’re looking for forward-thinking organisations looking to make a difference and advance our mission to clean up the planet. If you’re company or brand would like to be a sponsor of Planet Patrol’s activities, please get in touch and tell us a bit more about your brand and objectives.
All Planet Patrol corporate clean ups are led by experienced qualified instructors and a comprehensive risk assessment is conducted prior to the clean-up. We conduct a 48 hour weather check and start the clean up with a health and safety briefing. We have updated all of our operations and have safety measures in place during the coronavirus pandemic. You can read our litter picking health and safety here.
Yes, all Planet Patrol clean ups are insured and you can see our latest insurance policy here.
There are opportunities to co-brand merchandise with Planet Patrol as part of a wider partnership. You can find out more about our corporate opportunities here and then get in touch with your ideas and requirements.
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