Every year, over 30 million tonnes of litter are discarded in various locations across Britain. This not only creates a visible eyesore in our communities but also poses a threat to wildlife and leads to an annual cleanup cost estimated at £1 billion.
Fortunately, Keep Britain Tidy’s initiatives, the Great British Spring Clean and Great Big School Clean, are set to return from 13-29 March, with hundreds of thousands of individuals volunteering to enhance the cleanliness of 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 trash from streets, parks, fields, riverbanks, and beaches across Britain.
The Great British Spring Clean is scheduled for 13-29 March. To participate, individuals, groups, or schools can sign up on keepbritaintidy.org, where they can pledge to collect any number of bin bags they desire. Last year, nearly 400,000 volunteers engaged in the annual litter pick, filling approximately 462,000 bags of rubbish. A survey revealed that 95% of participants believed their actions significantly improved their local environment.
Among the notable supporters this year is civil servant Emdad Rahman, an esteemed Litter Hero Ambassador for Keep Britain Tidy. Emdad, who leads the Little Litter League, emphasizes the importance of educating young people and families to instill environmental pride and foster long-term change.
Joining Emdad are other dedicated individuals like Sarah Drakes, sustainability manager at Nestlé Confectionery UK&I, and area coach Rob Edwards from KFC UK&I, who have been actively involved in promoting cleanliness and sustainability efforts within their respective organizations.
The Great British Spring Clean campaign has received extensive support from partners such as Mars Wrigley, whose Chewing Gum Task Force has significantly reduced gum littering through targeted initiatives. This year’s campaign, made possible by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and various partners, aims to rally volunteers to protect their communities and demonstrate their love for the environment.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy, commended the dedication of volunteers like Emdad in removing millions of bags of litter, while Laura Chow, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, highlighted the inspiring impact of volunteers in safeguarding local environments.
The ongoing success of the campaign is attributed to the collaboration of various partners, including media partners, supporting partners, and the commitment of dedicated volunteers nationwide. The Great British Spring Clean encompasses initiatives such as Spring Clean Cymru in Wales (13-29 March) and Spring Clean Scotland in Scotland (13 March-24 April), ensuring a comprehensive effort to enhance environmental cleanliness.
