Over 30 million tons of litter are discarded throughout the UK annually. Not only does this create a visible eyesore in our communities, but it also poses a threat to wildlife and costs an estimated £1 billion each year for cleanup efforts.
Fortunately, Keep Britain Tidy is reintroducing the Great British Spring Clean and Great Big School Clean from March 13th to 29th. Hundreds of thousands of individuals will participate in these initiatives to help beautify our streets.
Since its inception as a one-time event in 2016, a group of dedicated Litter Heroes have demonstrated their commitment to their communities by collecting over 4.5 million bags of trash from various locations such as streets, parks, fields, riverbanks, and beaches across Britain.
The Great British Spring Clean is scheduled for March 13th to 29th. Register now at keepbritaintidy.org and commit to collecting any number of bin bags of litter of your choosing.
You can participate as an individual, group, or school. Simply provide your name, email address, postcode, and specify the number of bags you intend to collect.
Last year, close to 400,000 volunteers engaged in the annual cleanup, filling approximately 462,000 bags of rubbish. Feedback from participants revealed that 95% 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 for Keep Britain Tidy. Emdad leads the Little Litter League, encouraging youth and families to take responsibility for their environment through regular cleanup activities.
Emdad’s efforts are joined by other champions like Sarah Drakes, the sustainability manager at Nestlé Confectionery UK&I, and Rob Edwards from KFC UK&I, who have been long-standing supporters of the Great British Spring Clean.
Mars Wrigley has also been a key supporter for nearly a decade, funding initiatives to reduce gum littering nationwide. Their Chewing Gum Task Force has achieved significant reductions in gum litter through various cleanup and awareness programs.
Participating in the Great British Spring Clean provides an opportunity to contribute positively to your community. You can commit to picking up litter starting from February 13th.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, the CEO of Keep Britain Tidy, expressed gratitude to volunteers like Emdad for their dedication in removing millions of bags of litter from public spaces.
Laura Chow, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, commended volunteers for their environmental protection efforts 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 like Bauer Media Outdoor, Magic Radio, and The Mirror, as well as collaborating partners such as KFC UK&I, Mars Wrigley, McDonald’s, Nestlé, Pepsi Max, and Walkers.
The Great British Spring Clean also includes the Spring Clean Cymru in Wales (March 13-29) and Spring Clean Scotland in Scotland (March 13-April 24).