Hurrah! We’ve hit 100,000 LITTER HEROES
STILL NOT SIGNED UP?
MORE than 100,000 volunteers have now signed up to the Great British Spring Clean.
The milestone figure was surpassed yesterday – just over three weeks since the call went out for Britons to pledge their support.
Numbers have almost doubled in seven days thanks to schools and councils organising litter picks in their areas.
The effort was last night hailed for ‘turning the tide on litter pollution’ as campaigners said it showed the willingness to tackle waste is ‘fierce and growing.’ The Great British Spring Clean, which the Daily Mail is backing in partnership with Keep Britain Tidy, aims to enlist half a million volunteers to take part in litter picks on beaches, streets and in parks across Britain.
It is hoped the nationwide effort between March 22 and April 23 will be the biggest environmental event of the year.
Last night 101,247 volunteers had pledged their support. Environment Secretary Michael Gove called it ‘wonderful news’, adding: ‘It is only by working together that we can clean up our communities and ensure we leave our environment in a better state for future generations.’ Allison Ogden-Newton, of Keep Britain Tidy, said: ‘To have reached 100,000 volunteers in just three weeks is astonishing and inspiring.
‘It is testament to just how much our campaign is resonating with the public who want to turn the tide on the litter pollution that is blighting our country. To everyone who hasn’t yet pledged to do their bit, I would encourage them to get on board and help make a difference that will benefit us all.’
Last year, 370,000 people took part in the Great British Spring Clean, collecting litter at 13,500 events across the UK. Theresa May, Sir David Attenborough and Prince William are just some of the figures who have thrown their weight behind the initiative. Yesterday Helen McFarlane of McDonald’s said the firm’s 120,000 UK staff are being encouraged to take part. ‘And it’s great to learn that more than 100,000 people have already signed up to join in the campaign with us,’ she said.
Other High Street retailers including Marks and Spencer, Greggs, Wilko and Costa Coffee have also pledged their support, alongside Walkers, Coca- Cola, Mars Wrigley, cleaning firm Karcher and the People’s Postcode Lottery. Walkers also said it was urging thousands of staff to get involved, and was ‘determined to help spread the word’.
A spokesman for bakery chain Greggs said: ‘We are delighted that both our colleagues and customers care about the environment.’ Tackling plastic waste has been raised in the public consciousness by TV shows such as Blue Planet II and the Mail’s Turn the Tide on Plastic campaign. The Government is currently consulting on a deposit return scheme for plastic bottles in the hope that it will reduce littering and increase recycling.
Louise Edge, of Greenpeace UK, said: ‘We applaud the dedication of each and every person who’s pledged to join the Great British Spring Clean. We urge the Government to take note that public support to tackle plastic pollution is fierce and it is growing.’
Emma Priestland, of Friends of the Earth, added: ‘Discarded plastic blights our environment and harms our wildlife, so it’s heartwarming that so many tens of thousands of people have volunteered to clean it up.’