Worthing bin strikes: Bins collected for free after young girls’ litter-picking efforts

Neighbours and friends, Primrose, six, and Millie, seven, were left upset by all the litter on their street – Becket Road in Worthing. As a result of the Adur and Worthing bin strikes, they decided to take it upon themselves to grab their litter pickers and clean up their road during the last week of March and first week of April.

After Primrose and Millie featured in the Worthing Herald for their litter picking efforts, Sussex Waste Solutions got in contact with Tash Cocozza, Primrose’s mum, and collected their bins for free last week.

Tash, 29, said: “It was wonderful experience when Sussex Waste Solutions offered to collect our bins for free after seeing our article

“After four weeks with no collections, my bins were about to overflow. I don’t drive so I couldn’t take my excess waste to the tip.

“I felt Primrose could see for herself that her community truly cared about the effort she is putting in trying to help the environment. She was bursting with pride and the girls were still picking up litter whilst they were here collecting our bins.”

Amanda Jones, 44, who works for Sussex Waste Solutions said: “We saw the article on the Herald’s Facebook page and we’re amazed that these young children were out there doing their bit to help.

“We wanted to do something to show the children this hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“Also, we realised the children’s parents might be struggling with disposing of the rubbish they were accumulating so offered to go and collect all the families involved bins.

“We went along the next day and the children were still there collecting rubbish that was blowing down the road and gave us lovely letters and cards.

“We collected around 12 full bins of refuse (to help the parents too) and gave the kids a Easter egg each just so they knew their clean up efforts were appreciated in Worthing.

“Hats off to all the kids and their parents for making a difference in that way. We just wanted to do our bit to help them and I feel that we did as when we left I’m sure they were immediately rubbish collecting again.”

Tash, who is vegan, said Sussex Waste Solutions gave Primrose a vegan Easter egg, which she was over the moon about.

She said: “I felt a strong community spirit, our road is incredible as it is and we are all very friendly. But this felt very special to see all the kids so happy that someone was doing something for them to show their appreciation for what they do.

“Primrose made the ‘bin people’ a card to say thank you! And she was very excited seeing all our rubbish go into the truck and finally away from the house!

“We will be out litter picking again this week, she has already been spotting the build up at the end of the road.

“I can’t explain how much of a proud mummy I am at the moment. Feeling very blessed to have such a smart daughter that’s aware of all these things so much bigger than her.

“People have been stopping her and saying they saw her in the newspaper so she feels like a bit of a local celeb, too.”

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