This year’s Bag the Bruck campaign, helping to rid Orkney’s beaches, shores and verges of harmful and unsightly litter, will take place from Monday 1 April to Tuesday 30 April inclusive.
Greener Orkney is greatly appreciative of your assistance with this year’s activity. This year we are only providing gloves for children and therefore request that all adults bring their own gloves. We have been very lucky this year as Scottish Sea Farms have provided a quantity of large black bags and Orkney Islands Council will be providing smaller bags for use at the children’s events.
In addition to Orkney Islands Council picking up the bags we also have Cooke Aquaculture and Scottish Sea Farms picking up any fishing related gear which is too large for bagging. To get them to pick up these fishing items please note them on the Collection Form, record the ‘what3words’ location (a free app which can be downloaded) and take a photo. If you don’t have ‘what3words’ please provide the map coordinates.
If you are able to take the litter collected home or to the Household Waste Recycling Centres that would be very helpful.
If you are interested in continuing to help with the removal and analysis of marine litter going forwards, do please contact greenerorkney@gmail.com.
So – on to bruck business!
This year, we have taken a more modern approach, using online forms for completion which will be easier for organisers to fill in/return and means the data will be collected more easily too. Please follow the links below for information on specific topics:
Skate Eggcase Reports BtB 2024
Initially, the main one to consider is the updated contact form (Book a Bag the Bruck Event). Please complete this asap, so that we have an idea of how many people wish to take part, how much equipment will be required and which area they will be cleaning/clearing. This needs to be completed by 31 March 2024 in order for you to receive your clean up pack. Any forms received after this date, may not receive a pack but can still be part of Bag the Bruck 2024.
We will need collection details submitted when you have finished bagging the bruck in your area as soon as you can. This ensures that we can alert OIC to the whereabouts of large quantities of bags to be collected before bags start to get attacked by weather or animals.
Both the above mentioned contact and collection forms (links) are in google forms so can be completed electronically and submitted. If you are struggling, please just email with the details to bagthebruck@gmail.com.
The information sheet and safety advice documents are to be used when briefing your groups about the clean up. The Skate Eggcase Leaflet is self-explanatory and can be used when briefing your groups too.
We plan to make packs up before the end of March so your early response would be very gratefully received, thank you very much. If this is sent to you after the above date, please do not worry, we will email and let you know when the packs are ready. You will note on the initial form you complete, there are only 3 collection points for the clean up packs, OIC School Place, Kirkwall, Warehouse Buildings, Stromness and Dounby Post Office.
At the end of your event, if you have the capacity, do consider taking the collected bruck to the recycling centres or absorb it within your own household rubbish. Some groups did that last year which was really helpful. There is no special ‘Bag the Bruck’ Van or collection vehicle per se; Orkney Islands Council staff do a great job collecting the extra stuff where possible but if we can collectively help them, that would be great!
Do email any feedback to bagthebruck@gmail.com to be included in our debrief meeting planned for after the event.
Many thanks and here’s to a successful Bag the Bruck campaign!