Don't Trash Oldham clean-up returns 2026

Oldham Council has revived its Don't Trash Oldham clean-up drive after residents told them the borough still looked scruffy between the last big push and now. Crews will return to alleys and fly-tipping black spots that people flagged as eyesores, picking up where a previous campaign left off after shifting hundreds of tonnes of rubbish from streets and parks.

Since that earlier blitz, council teams have kept removing dumped sofas, rubble and bin bags every week, sending whatever they can to be recycled, reused or burned for energy instead of landfill. The new phase, starting 12 November 2025, widens the effort by inviting neighbours to enter monthly and yearly "Clean Alleyway" contests; winners will get prizes and a public thank-you on the council's social feeds.

Before-and-after photos will be posted online so people can see exactly which ginnels or back streets have been cleared, and residents can nominate hotspots they want tackled next. Leaders say the aim is to make improvements stick by letting communities steer the mop-up list rather than having crews guess where to go.

Cllr Arooj Shah acknowledged the job is far from done: alley-gating, repeat tipping and tight budgets mean some areas risk sliding back into mess. The council hopes friendly rivalry between streets, backed by regular photo updates, will keep litter levels down long after the wagons roll away.