GIVE THEM A MEDAL... OUR LITTER ARMY
After children led the way to kick off the Great British Spring Clean in spectacular style on friday, this weekend saw what the adults could do.
And it was magnificent. thousands of big-hearted volunteers – many of them Daily Mail readers – took part throughout the land.
Some did it in groups, some alone – but all made an amazing difference. Here are some of the litter heroes who took part over the weekend... And you could be one of them – there’s still plenty of time to sign up!
23,000 WET WIPES IN JUST TWO HOURS
A staggering 23,000 wet wipes were pulled from the Thames near Hammersmith Bridge yesterday – in two hours.
A total of 160 volunteers filled 473 bin bags at the event, run by the charity thames 21.
Alice Hall, thames river Watch programme coordinator, said: ‘Bringing people down to the shore and them seeing the huge mounds of wet wipes really has a “wow” impact, and people just think: “Oh my goodness this is horrific”.’ Among the volunteers were 28 cubs and scouts.
Jamie Kelly group scout leader said: ‘It is shocking how much pollution is actually in the river.
‘this is part of young people’s heritage and they need to understand what they can really do to protect it.’ Maudie Blackie-Kelly, 13, said: ‘I look at the trees and the river and see how beautiful it is but when I come down here you realise that this is our world, this is what we’re doing to it and we really need to stop.’
TODAY HAS FILLED ME WITH HOPE
Helpers in Tyneside ended up with 45 black bin bags packed with rubbish from a nature reserve a four-hour operation on Saturday.
Primrose Nature reserve in Jarrow hosted the event as helpers armed with litter-grabbers from the local community scoured river banks and grass.
the vast pile of rubbish they amassed included plastic waste, crisp packets, water bottles, beer cans and large plastic containers – along with car tyres, metal poles, a microwave door, two shopping trollies, a children’s bike and even the remains of a mattress.
Gayle White, 43, said: ‘this campaign is vital. You have got a wide variety of wildlife in this area and if you don’t look after your own environment who is going to? today has filled me with hope.’
BOTTLE TOPS AND A DUMPED BAR STOOL
Litter heroes in Chingford, northeast London, collected more than 30 bags of rubbish, dozens of bottle tops – and a bar stool top. they spent two hours cleaning up Chingford Green, the assembly hall and the library on Saturday morning.
Yvonne Sanders, 64, who organised the event, said: ‘I started litter picking last year and it was because I am very sad to see our neighbourhood looking unloved and uncared for. I think if the streets are kept cleaner people are less likely to drop litter.’
She added: It is setting an example as well. I don’t think it’s good for people’s mental health to see litter and rubbish when they’re expecting to be outside in a green space.’
ENOUGH PARTS TO BUILD A NEW CAR
two bikes, a lawnmower, a vacuum cleaner, nine car bumpers and 12 car tyres were hauled from the river Don by a group of volunteers on Saturday.
More than 100 eco-warriors worked hard along a 500-yard stretch of the river, which runs through the former industrial heartland of Sheffield.
‘We almost had enough old car parts to build a new car!’ laughed local mother Jane Campbell, 40, who helped to co-ordinate the weekend’s volunteer efforts.
She said it ‘took a trillion acts of carelessness to clog our planet with rubbish and plastic’ but said ‘all it needs now is a trillion acts of carefulness’ to rid Britain of the scourge of waste on our streets.