Following the success of last year’s Big Rural Spring Clean, the Countryside Alliance has been named a community partner of this year’s Great British Spring Clean.
The announcement will see the Alliance will coordinate its own clean-up events to support the initiative run by Keep Britain Tidy.
The Countryside Alliance’s Countryside clean-up will be held on April 6 and 7 and with all members encouraged to organise litter-picking events in their local area.
Top 3 litter items in the countryside
Volunteers on the Big Rural Spring Clean last year found the most common litter items to be dumped in the country were:
- Soft drink cans, bottles, cartons, which were found by 77% of volunteers;
- Alcohol cans, wine bottles, spirit bottles, etc. Found by 61% of volunteers;
- Fast food litter, e.g. packaging, food, straws, found by 54% of those to join the clean-up.
Countryside Alliance’s Polly Portwin said: “This is a fantastic initiative which we are very pleased to be supporting.
“Not only is discarded litter an eyesore, but it is potentially hazardous to farmed livestock, wild animals and domestic pets and by joining all groups together that use the countryside we hope to make a difference.”
Chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, Allison Ogden-Newton added: “The Great British Spring Clean is an opportunity for the millions of people who care about the environment on their doorstep to do something positive that will make a visible difference.
“Without the support of groups like the Countryside Alliance we would not be able to make that difference and we thank them for their support.”
The Great British Spring Clean is the country’s biggest mass-action environmental campaign. The campaign was first run in 2017.
In 2018, despite stormy weather, more than 371,566 volunteers took part, including more than 126,651school children.
In total, 13,500 events were held over the campaign period (March 2-4, 2018) and around 300 local authorities took part.
To find out more about the Countryside Clean Up and to sign up please visit the Countryside Alliance’s website.
