Eliminate litter. End waste. Improve places.
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An image of the Bee-Gees in Keep Britain Tidy t-shirts from the 1970s

Our history

Our aims and our reach are much wider than when we started. We've been busy since 1954 and we're always looking to the future.


The 50s

1954
An image of the Women's Institute in 1954

The very beginning

The National Federation of Women’s Institutes pass a resolution to “Keep Britain Tidy”. And the rest, as they say, is history…


The 60s

1960
An image of the Tidyman logo fro 1960

We register as a charity

1969
An image of the Tidyman logo shown on bins and packaging

Introducing Tidyman

Our Tidyman starts appearing on bins and packaging across the country.


The 70s

1970
An image of ABBA wearing Keep Britain Tidy t-shirts

Influencing behaviour change

Our national campaigns, featuring the celebs of the day, are everywhere. We start to have a huge impact on people’s attitudes and behaviours when it comes to litter and littering.

1971
A poster by Keep Britain Tidy featuring a policeman

The Dangerous Litter Act

The Dangerous Litter Act increases maximum littering fines from £10 to £100.

1977
An image of the Queen with three Keep Britain Tidy volunteers

Clean for the Queen

For the first time we Clean for The Queen, marking Her Majesty’s Silver Jubilee. Photograph above: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother at the event.


The 80s

1987
An image of two people on the phone

Waste Watch charity launches

The charity Waste Watch launches, encouraging us all to reduce, reuse and recycle our waste. Years later the two charities merge, giving us today’s Keep Britain Tidy.

1987
An image of a Blue Flag campaign poster by Keep Britain Tidy

Blue Flag Award

We launch the Blue Flag Award across England celebrating the best beaches. With 12 beaches awarded in the first year, flags now proudly fly over 68 English beaches.

1989
An image of two people in Wombles costumes on National Spring Clean Day 1989

National Spring Clean Day

Two million people (and a few Wombles) take part in our National Spring Clean Day.

1989
An image of 5 people holding brooms

People and places

People and Places launches. It’s now our Keep Britain Tidy Network of local authorities and land managers.


The 90s

1990
An image of a policeman and member of the public facing each other

The Environmental Protection Act

The Environmental Protection Act defines acceptable standards of street cleanliness for the first time.

1990
An image of Richard Branson with Keep Britain Tidy

Tidy Britain

It's Tidy Britain Year.

1991
An image taken from a booklet at the first people and places ceremony

People and places awards

The first year of our People and Places Awards. And we still celebrate the very best people, partnerships, organisations and places each year at our Network Awards.

1992
An image of a young girl and boy eating ice cream

Seaside Awards

We launch the Seaside Award, complementing the Blue Flag Awards to celebrate England’s best beaches.

1994
An image of a teacher and school children in front of an Eco-Schools flag

Eco-Schools

We launch Eco-Schools in England. Now running across 67 countries, more than 1,000 English schools proudly fly the internationally-recognised Green Flag Award.

1996
An image of people celebrating winning a Green Flag Award

Green Flag Award

Celebrating the country’s very best green spaces, the Green Flag Award launches in England. With awards given to seven parks in the first year, flags now proudly fly over 1,797 UK parks and the scheme is expanding internationally. Keep Britain Tidy won the contract to deliver the Green Flag Award in 2009.


The 00s

2000
An image from the Dirty Pig campaign

Dirty pig

Our hard-hitting, sometimes controversial campaigns continue. Posters like ‘dirty pig’ show how unacceptable littering is.

2000
An image of a robot with 'recycler' on his front

Waste reduction programme

Campaigning by Waste Watch results in a government-backed waste reduction programme.

2005
An image of a campaign poster from 2005

Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Acts

The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Acts introduce fixed penalty notices for littering.

2008
An image of volunteers at the first Big Tidy Up

The Big Tidy Up

The Big Tidy Up launches. For ten years, this volunteer army make a huge difference and has evolved into our Great British Spring Clean campaign.


The 10s

2010
An image from the No Such Thing as the Dog Poo Fairy campaign

The dog poo fairy

We all learn ‘there’s no such thing as the dog poo fairy'.

2010
An image of a group of people collecting litter on a pebble beach

BeachCare

BeachCare launches in 2010 to help people protect the environment on their doorstep.

2011
An image of three people clearing a river

WatersideCare

WatersideCare launches in 2011 to help people protect their environment.

2011
An image of the Love Where You Live campaign from 2011

Today's Keep Britain Tidy

Charities Waste Watch and Keep Britain Tidy merge into today’s Keep Britain Tidy.

2012
An image of a Keep Britain Tidy volunteer with someone carrying the Olympic torch

2012 Olympics

As the Olympic torch is run around the country, people show the world they love where they live, cleaning the route ahead of the torch.

2013
An image of the Love My Beach logo

LoveMyBeach

LoveMyBeach launches in 2013 for people to celebrate the North West's beaches and help to protect them.

2014
An image of a We're Watching You campaign poster

We're watching you

Our innovation team reminds thoughtless dog owners that ‘We’re Watching You’ with glow-in-the-dark eyes, reducing dog fouling by up to 90%.

2014
An image of Kirsty Allsop taking a selfie with three people in Wombles costumes

Wombling free

Our childhood heroes, the Wombles, join forces with us again.

2016
An image of two people by the waterside collecting litter

Clean for the Queen

We Clean for the Queen again, this time to celebrate her 90th birthday.

2017
An image of the front cover of the Litter Strategy for England

Government Litter Stategy

The Government launches the first litter strategy with special praise for our Eco-Schools programme.

2017
An image of the Keep Britain Tidy logo

Keep Britain Tidy rebrand

With our rebrand, Tidyman is back at the charity’s core - and logo - although, obviously, he never left our hearts.

2018

Record number take part in #GBSpringClean

Over 374,000 people took part in cleaning up the country for the Great British Spring Clean 2018, with 13,500 events held across the country.

2019

Great British Spring Clean 2019 breaks records!

Over 560,000 volunteer #LitterHeroes took part in this year's Great British Spring Clean - making it the country's biggest ever mass-action environmental campaign.