Every year, over 30 million tonnes of litter are discarded throughout Britain, causing not only a visible eyesore in our communities but also posing a threat to wildlife and incurring an estimated annual cleanup cost of £1 billion.
The good news is that the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy is bringing back its Great British Spring Clean and Great Big School Clean initiatives from March 13 to 29. Hundreds of thousands of individuals will once again join forces to enhance the cleanliness of our streets.
Since its inception as a one-time event in 2016, a group of dedicated Litter Heroes has demonstrated their commitment to their neighborhoods by committing to collect more than 4.5 million bags of trash from various locations in Britain, including streets, parks, fields, riverbanks, and beaches.
The Great British Spring Clean will run from March 13 to 29. Interested participants can register at keepbritaintidy.org and pledge to collect any amount of rubbish they desire.
You can participate as an individual, a group, or a school. Simply provide your name, email address, postcode, and indicate the number of bags you intend to collect.
Last year, nearly 400,000 volunteers engaged in the annual litter collection, filling approximately 462,000 bags of waste. A survey conducted among participants revealed that 95% believed their contributions had a noticeable impact on their local surroundings.
Among the advocates for this year’s initiative is civil servant Emdad Rahman, an esteemed Litter Hero Ambassador of Keep Britain Tidy. Emdad, supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, leads the Little Litter League program, which encourages young people and families to take pride in their environment through regular cleanup activities.
Emdad’s sentiment is echoed by Sarah Drakes, sustainability manager at Nestlé Confectionery UK&I, who has been a staunch supporter of the Great British Spring Clean for six years. Sarah has organized litter-picking events for employees and aims to minimize the company’s packaging waste ending up as litter or in landfills.
KFC UK&I, Mars Wrigley, and other partners have also extended their support to the campaign, highlighting their commitment to keeping communities clean and cared for.
The Great British Spring Clean provides an opportunity for individuals to contribute positively to their communities by pledging to collect litter starting from February 13.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, the CEO of Keep Britain Tidy, expressed gratitude towards volunteers like Emdad for their relentless efforts in removing over four million bags of harmful litter from public areas.
Laura Chow, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, commended the volunteers for their dedication to protecting the environment and emphasized the importance of collective action in preserving nature.
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 like KFC UK&I, Mars Wrigley, McDonald’s, Nestlé, Pepsi Max, and Walkers.