Britain’s Litter Heroes Unite to Clean Up Communities
Every year, over 30 million tonnes of litter are discarded across the UK. This not only mars the beauty of our neighborhoods but also poses a threat to wildlife and incurs an annual cleanup cost of around £1 billion.
Fortunately, Keep Britain Tidy’s initiatives, the Great British Spring Clean and Great Big School Clean, are back from 13-29 March. Hundreds of thousands of individuals will once again join forces to spruce up our streets.
Since its inception as a one-time event in 2016, a dedicated group of Litter Heroes have demonstrated their commitment by collecting over 4.5 million bags of rubbish from streets, parks, fields, riverbanks, and beaches across Britain.
The Great British Spring Clean is scheduled for 13-29 March. Enroll today at keepbritaintidy.org and commit to collecting as many bin bags as you can.
Whether as a group, individual, or school, simply provide your name, email, postcode, and the number of bags you intend to gather.
Last year, nearly 400,000 volunteers participated in the annual cleanup, filling approximately 462,000 bags of trash. A survey revealed that 95% of participants believed their contributions significantly improved their local environment.
Among this year’s advocates is civil servant Emdad Rahman, one of Keep Britain Tidy’s 200 Litter Hero Ambassadors. Emdad, supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, leads the Little Litter League, promoting environmental stewardship among youth and families through regular clean-up activities.
Other notable figures supporting the cause include Sarah Drakes from Nestlé Confectionery UK&I and Rob Edwards from KFC UK&I, who have been actively engaged in cleanup efforts for several years.
Mars Wrigley has also been a long-standing partner, funding the Chewing Gum Task Force to reduce gum litter by up to 86% through various initiatives.
The Great British Spring Clean presents an opportunity to contribute positively to your community. Pledge to pick up at least one bag starting from 13 February.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, CEO of Keep Britain Tidy, expressed gratitude to the Litter Heroes for their unwavering commitment in removing millions of bags of litter from public areas.
Laura Chow from People’s Postcode Lottery commended the volunteers for their dedication to preserving the environment, emphasizing the importance of collective action in safeguarding 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.