Keep Britain Tidy launches Great British Spring Clean across the nation

Keep Britain Tidy is today sharing its message that the environment belongs to everyone as the country’s biggest mass-action environmental campaign - the Great British Spring Clean - begins. 

 

Thousands of volunteer #LitterHeroes across the nation are today grabbing their litter-pickers and forming a nationwide army, springing into action to clean up communities.

 

Now in its ninth year, the charity's annual nationwide litter-picking campaign is supported by thousands of individuals, families, schools, local authorities, community groups and businesses who care for the environment on their doorsteps. 

 

Last year people up and down the country came together to clean up more than 400,000 bags of litter from streets, parks, beaches and other public spaces and this year, as Keep Britain Tidy marks its 70th anniversary, the charity is hoping to beat that total. 

 

#LitterHeroes up and down the country are being encouraged to make a pledge on Keep Britain Tidy’s website, www.keepbritaintidy.org, to pick a bag - or more - of rubbish during the campaign, which runs from 15th to 31st March, 2024. 

 

To mark the occasion, Keep Britain Tidy hosted a pop-up litter museum in the Houses of Parliament, using exhibits loaned from the Vintage Litter Museum in Suffolk, to raise awareness of the permanence of litter dropped by people decades ago. 

 

The earliest plastic piece in the museum is a small plastic bottle from the Revlon Aquamarine range from 1954 - the same year Keep Britain Tidy was born after a resolution was passed by the Women's Institute inaugurating a campaign "to preserve against desecration by litter of all kinds". 

 

It remains the leading organisation in the country campaigning against litter. 

 

Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, said: “We’re celebrating 70 years of taking action for the environment and it’s our belief that the environment belongs to everyone.  

 

“The Great British Spring Clean is the perfect time to shout about everything we’ve achieved together in the past seven decades and say a big thank you to the volunteers, staff and supporters who have made it possible.  

 

 “However you choose to mark our 70th anniversary this Great British Spring Clean, your efforts will make a huge difference to the environment on your doorstep. 

 

“The tireless work of our staff and volunteers has brought us a long way since 1954 - but now the planet needs us like never before as millions of tonnes of new and historic litter makes its way from the land into our waterways and oceans each year, causing catastrophic damage to our wildlife and natural habitats.” 

 

The charity has also announced the winners and runners-up of the Great British Spring Clean awards after the community made nominations last year.

 

They are:

 

Leading #LitterHero (for an individual) 

Winner: Martin Shaw, Scotland 

Runner up: Sally Ketteringham, Southampton 

 

Outstanding Organiser (for council or local group) 

Winner: Partnership between Newham Council and Newham Muslim Forum. London 

Runner up: Friends of Batley Station, Yorkshire 

 

Shining Star (for registered Keep Britain Tidy #LitterHeroes Ambassadors) 

Winner: Roy Beal, Dorset/Devon 

Runner up: Tony Dixon, Warrington 

 

Best in Business (for business or partnership) 

Winner: Partnership between the Angling Trust and Shimano (nationwide but Herefordshire-based) 

Runners up: Angler’s National Line Recycling Scheme (operates nationally) 

 

Super Student 

Winner: St John’s School, Northwood, London 

Runner up: Georgia Smith, five, Yorkshire 

 

Sean Latus, CEO of the campaign's headline partner Calisen, which owns, installs and manages essential energy infrastructure, driven by its vision of smarter energy for all, said: “It’s inspiring to see volunteers taking action at grassroots level to make our communities cleaner and greener.”   

 

After the 2023 campaign, 96% of participants agreed that they felt they had made a difference to their local area. 

 

Please visit: https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/gbspringclean to sign up now. 

 

This year’s campaign is made possible thanks to media partner Clear Channel, headline partner Calisen and supporting partners Coca-Cola, KFC, Mars Wrigley, McDonald’s, Nestlé, Pepsi MAX and Walkers. We also thank players of People’s Postcode Lottery for raising funds to support this campaign.