March 2025
Taking part in the Great British Spring Clean is simple. Volunteers can pledge to pick as an individual, or as part of a group – like the many businesses, faith groups, and community partners who support the campaign. Schools too can get in on the eco-action by pledging to join the Great Big School Clean. Last year, more than 160,000 pupils pledged to pick.
For some of Keep Britain Tidy’s dedicated litter-picking volunteers, the Spring Clean is an opportunity to go that extra mile. Literally, in the case of #LitterHeroes Ambassador Sam Laywood who embarked on a 26 mile litter-picking marathon across Leicestershire – an achievement he’s already outdone during this year’s campaign!
Whether we litter-pick the length of our county, or the length of our street, and whether we pledge to pick one bag or one hundred, every action helps. As we celebrate Keep Britain Tidy’s tenth big clean-up campaign, we reflect on the four million bags of litter supporters have pledged to pick over the years. All those small, meaningful actions have added up to a big difference.
Why Do We Pick Litter?
Our volunteers are forever finding old-school litter. #LitterHeroes Ambassador Jason Alexander has gone so far as to set up his own Vintage Litter Museum. It houses finds from as far back as the 1920s. It’s a fascinating trip down memory lane – full of defunct brands and price-tags that would make any of us nostalgic - but it’s also a reminder that litter lasts a lifetime.
In fact, it’s possible that a plastic bottle dropped today could linger in the environment for as long as 450 years. During its long afterlife, a piece of litter might make its way from the land where it was dropped into our waterways and oceans.
“The beach has been my playground, sanity-restorer, inspiration and source of wonder, joy and comfort all my life.” Donna Trethewey told us about her inspiration for founding the Selsey Beach Litter Ninjas, “As a keen sea swimmer, I’m also very concerned about the state of our seas and love nothing more than seeing marine life thriving.”
Long-standing Spring Clean supporters the RSPCA received around 13,000 calls over the last four years about animals that are caught up in or injured by litter. Litter-picking is an opportunity to protect wildlife by removing materials that don’t belong from their natural habitats – and it can protect our pets too.
When Zac Robinson’s pet dog Ellie was just a puppy, she picked up a full tube of superglue on her walk, and before Zac could even tell what had happened, superglue oozed into Ellie’s mouth and started to stick her tongue, gums and lips together.
Zac acted quickly, and vets were able to treat Ellie, and although she suffered a poorly tummy, she made a full recovery, but the event inspired Zac to take action. Now, he litter-picks on his walks with Ellie around Grimsby, spotting dangerous items and popping them in the bin before they can cause harm to people, pets or wildlife.
Love Where You Live
In a YouGov survey carried out on Keep Britain Tidy’s behalf, 72% of UK adults said that seeing litter makes them less proud of their neighbourhood. So litter-picking is a small action we can all take to show a little love to the places we live in. In fact, 97% of last year’s participants agreed that as a result of taking part in the Great British Spring Clean, they felt they made a difference to their local area.
Inara Dundure moved to Greater Manchester from Latvia more than a decade ago. She enjoys regular litter-picks, using her mobility scooter and walking aids. Last year, after seven years volunteering, she became part of the Salford Litter Heroes group.
“Once a month, I advertise community litter-picks where I hope more people can get together and clean up bigger areas.” she told us, “People seem more caring than they were before. I’m working hard to get the community together to be greener and safer for everyone."
So, litter-picking can be good for the places that we call home, and it can help us to connect with our neighbours too. 78% of those that took part in last year’s Great British Spring Clean agreed that the campaign brings communities together.
The Great British Spring Clean offers an opportunity to get outdoors, connect with our communities, and love where we live. Whether you’re a veteran #LitterHero or picking up your first bag, every piece of litter we remove makes a big difference. If you want to get involved or to learn more about the campaign, head to Keep Britain Tidy’s website.
The opinions expressed in this blog are the authors' and not necessarily those of the wider Link membership.
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