Over 30 million tons of litter are discarded in the UK annually, causing a visible eyesore in our communities, damaging wildlife, and incurring around £1 billion in cleanup costs each year.
However, there is a positive initiative on the horizon as Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean and Great Big School Clean are set to take place from March 13-29. Hundreds of thousands of individuals will come together to beautify our streets during this period.
Since its inception as a one-time event in 2016, a group of dedicated Litter Heroes has committed to collecting over 4.5 million bags of rubbish from various locations such as streets, parks, fields, riverbanks, and beaches across Britain.
The Great British Spring Clean is scheduled for March 13-29. Interested participants can register at keepbritaintidy.org and pledge to collect a chosen number of bin bags. Whether as a group, individual, or school, all you need to do is provide your name, email, postcode, and the number of bags you intend to pick up.
Last year, close to 400,000 volunteers partook in the annual litter pick, filling approximately 462,000 bags of waste. A survey revealed that 95% of participants believed their contributions significantly improved their local surroundings.
Among the advocates for this year’s campaign is civil servant Emdad Rahman, a Litter Hero Ambassador funded by People’s Postcode Lottery. Emdad, who is featured in the charity’s promotional efforts for the Great British Spring Clean, runs the Little Litter League, a program encouraging environmental responsibility among young people and their families through regular clean-up activities.
Sarah Drakes, sustainability manager at Nestlé Confectionery UK&I, another long-time supporter of the initiative, emphasizes the importance of corporate responsibility in keeping communities clean and eco-friendly.
Partnering with Keep Britain Tidy for five years, KFC UK&I ensures its teams participate in the annual Spring Clean, promoting community cleanliness around KFC establishments. Additionally, Mars Wrigley has been backing the campaign for nearly a decade and funds the Chewing Gum Task Force to combat gum littering nationwide.
The Great British Spring Clean presents an opportunity for individuals to contribute positively to their communities by committing to collecting litter starting February 13.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, CEO of Keep Britain Tidy, expresses gratitude to volunteers like Emdad for their efforts in removing millions of bags of litter from public spaces, while Laura Chow from People’s Postcode Lottery acknowledges the impact of local volunteers in safeguarding the environment.
The success of 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 KFC UK&I, Mars Wrigley, McDonald’s, Nestlé, Pepsi Max, and Walkers.
The Great British Spring Clean encompasses Spring Clean Cymru in Wales (March 13-29) and Spring Clean Scotland in Scotland (March 13-April 24).