27-year-old crisp packet discovered by Peterborough litter-pickers

Litter-pickers in Peterborough made an unexpected discovery while out cleaning up an industrial area in Woodston.

As part of the RECOUP Litter Composition & Pathways Project, the team collected seven bags in two hours .

This included a mixture of new material as well as legacy litter and, remarkably, a Walkers crisp packet with a 1997 expiry date.

The condition of this crisp packet was surprisingly preserved, with little degradation to the packet itself or the ink.

This was the fifth litter pick carried out as part of the project, which came about due to the group's continued concern over litter pollution.

Supported by funding from RECOUP members McDonald’s and Ocado Retail, the project's goal is to review, challenge, and provide evidence regarding the composition of litter.

To achieve this, RECOUP aims to:

· Develop a standardised, evidence-based methodology for collecting and analysing litter.

· Create a comprehensive litter composition data set.

· Test the use of Artificial Intelligence technology to determine insights such as litter distribution and composition.

· Understand the difference between terrestrial and riverine litter through the use of a Seabin, which is additionally funded by Viridor and Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT).

A variety of litter picks have already been carried out across the Peterborough area with the help of the Peterborough Litter Wombles, covering a mix of location types, to understand any variations in litter types based on these variables.

As the project progresses, the methodology will be shared with litter groups across the country.

Laura Hutchings, projects and data manager at RECOUP, said: “It has been really interesting to see the variety of both new and legacy litter we have been collecting from each litter pick.

“There is an obvious need for highly thought-out, targeted interventions for the prevention of litter, and this project will provide key data and insights to help achieve this”.

If you would like to find out more about the Litter Composition & Pathways Project, contact Laura Hutchings on laura.hutchings@recoup.org