More than 30 million tons of litter are discarded annually throughout the United Kingdom. This litter 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 £1 billion.
The positive news is that Keep Britain Tidy’s initiatives, the Great British Spring Clean and Great Big School Clean, are returning from March 13 to 29. Hundreds of thousands of individuals are expected to participate in these events to help beautify our streets.
Since its inception as a one-time event in 2016, a group of dedicated Litter Heroes has demonstrated their commitment to their communities by pledging to collect 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 13-29. Interested participants can register at keepbritaintidy.org and commit to collecting any amount of trash they desire. Whether as a group, individual, or school, simply provide your name, email address, postcode, and the number of bags you intend to collect.
Last year, nearly 400,000 volunteers engaged in the annual cleanup, filling roughly 462,000 bags of litter. Feedback from participants revealed that 95% believed their contributions had a significant impact on their local surroundings.
Among the advocates for this year’s campaign is civil servant Emdad Rahman, a Litter Hero Ambassador supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Emdad leads the Little Litter League to inspire young people and families to take pride in their environment through regular cleanup activities.
Another champion, Sarah Drakes, the sustainability manager at Nestlé Confectionery UK&I, has been backing the Great British Spring Clean for six years. She has organized litter-picking events for employees and promoted the cause at the company’s York site.
KFC UK&I has been a longstanding partner, with their area coach Rob Edwards ensuring team participation in the annual Spring Clean to maintain cleanliness around KFC establishments. Mars Wrigley has also been a key supporter for nearly a decade, funding the Chewing Gum Task Force to reduce gum litter nationwide.
The Great British Spring Clean offers an opportunity to contribute positively to your community. You can pledge to collect and dispose of a bag or more of litter starting on February 13.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, the chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, commended volunteers like Emdad for their dedication, which has resulted in the removal of over four million bags of harmful litter from public spaces.
Laura Chow, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, expressed admiration for the volunteers’ efforts in protecting the local environment and emphasized the importance of individual contributions to nature conservation.
This year’s campaign is made possible through 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.
The Great British Spring Clean encompasses Spring Clean Cymru in Wales (March 13-29) and Spring Clean Scotland in Scotland (March 13-April 24).