More than 30 million tons of litter are discarded in various locations across the UK annually. This not only creates a visible eyesore in our communities but also poses a threat to wildlife and results in an estimated annual cleanup cost of around £1 billion.
The positive news is that Keep Britain Tidy, an environmental charity, is bringing back the Great British Spring Clean and Great Big School Clean from March 13-29. During this period, hundreds of thousands of individuals will join forces to enhance the cleanliness of our streets.
Originally a one-time event in 2016, the Great British Spring Clean has inspired a legion of Litter Heroes who have pledged to collect over 4.5 million bags of trash from streets, parks, fields, riverbanks, and beaches across Britain.
Scheduled for March 13-29, the Great British Spring Clean invites participants to sign up on keepbritaintidy.org and commit to collecting as many bin bags of litter as they desire. Whether as a group, an individual, or a school, you can register your name, email, postcode, and indicate the number of bags you aim to gather.
In the previous year, almost 400,000 volunteers engaged in the annual litter cleanup, filling approximately 462,000 bags of garbage. A survey conducted among participants revealed that 95% of them acknowledged the visible impact of their actions on their local areas.
Among the advocates for this year’s campaign is civil servant Emdad Rahman, recognized as one of Keep Britain Tidy’s 200 Litter Hero Ambassadors. Emdad, funded by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, is actively involved in promoting environmental consciousness through initiatives like the Little Litter League, which encourages youth and families to maintain clean surroundings.
Joining Emdad are other champions like Sarah Drakes, the sustainability manager at Nestlé Confectionery UK&I, who has been supporting the Great British Spring Clean for six years. At Nestlé, efforts are geared towards ensuring that none of their packaging contributes to litter or landfill.
The Great British Spring Clean is also backed by long-term partners like KFC UK&I, Mars Wrigley, and others. Mars Wrigley, for instance, has been supporting the campaign for nearly a decade and is funding the Chewing Gum Task Force, which aims to reduce gum litter nationwide.
This initiative presents an opportunity for individuals to contribute positively to their communities by pledging to collect and dispose of litter starting from February 13. Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, the CEO of Keep Britain Tidy, expressed gratitude to volunteers like Emdad for their commitment, emphasizing the importance of their collective efforts in combating litter issues.
Laura Chow, the head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, commended the volunteers for their dedication to safeguarding the environment, underscoring the message that everyone has a role to play in environmental conservation.
The success of this year’s campaign is made possible through the support of People’s Postcode Lottery players, media partners, and collaborating partners like KFC UK&I, Mars Wrigley, McDonald’s, Nestlé, Pepsi Max, and Walkers. Additionally, the Great British Spring Clean extends to Spring Clean Cymru in Wales (March 13-29) and Spring Clean Scotland in Scotland (March 13-April 24).