Over 30 million tonnes of litter are discarded in various locations throughout the UK annually. This litter not only tarnishes the appearance of our communities but also poses a threat to wildlife and requires an estimated £1 billion to clean up each year.
Fortunately, the environmental organization Keep Britain Tidy is relaunching its initiatives, the Great British Spring Clean and Great Big School Clean, from March 13 to 29. These events will see hundreds of thousands of individuals coming together to enhance the cleanliness of our streets.
Since its inception as a one-time event in 2016, a group of dedicated Litter Heroes have demonstrated their commitment to their neighborhoods by collecting more than 4.5 million bags of litter from various sites such as streets, parks, fields, riverbanks, and beaches across Britain.
The Great British Spring Clean is scheduled to take place from March 13 to 29. To participate, individuals, groups, or schools can register on keepbritaintidy.org and commit to collecting any quantity of refuse they desire.
Last year, nearly 400,000 volunteers engaged in the annual clean-up, filling approximately 462,000 bags with rubbish. According to a survey, 95% of participants believed their contributions significantly improved their local surroundings.
Among the advocates this year is civil servant Emdad Rahman, an esteemed Litter Hero Ambassador supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. He is actively involved in educating young people through schemes like the Little Litter League, emphasizing the importance of environmental stewardship and community pride.
Joining Emdad are other dedicated individuals like Sarah Drakes from Nestlé Confectionery UK&I, who has been a staunch supporter of the Great British Spring Clean for six years. Sarah actively organizes litter-picking events for employees at the York site, striving to ensure that none of the company’s packaging ends up as litter or in landfills.
Additionally, companies like KFC UK&I, Mars Wrigley, and others have been long-standing partners of Keep Britain Tidy, contributing to the national effort to combat littering through various initiatives.
The Great British Spring Clean presents an opportunity for community members to make a positive impact. Individuals can pledge to collect litter starting from February 13 and help maintain the cleanliness of their surroundings.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, the CEO of Keep Britain Tidy, expressed gratitude to volunteers like Emdad for their commitment to removing harmful litter from public spaces, while Laura Chow, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, commended the volunteers for their efforts in protecting the environment.
This year’s campaign is made possible by the support of People’s Postcode Lottery players, media partners Bauer Media Outdoor, Magic Radio, The Mirror, and collaborating partners such as KFC UK&I, Mars Wrigley, McDonald’s, Nestlé, Pepsi Max, and Walkers.
