The Mirror is supporting Keep Britain Tidy’s 10th Great British Spring Clean which has been backed by the Prime Minister Keir Starmer who called it an “act of national renewal”
Today, the Mirror is urging you to take part in the nation’s biggest mass-action environmental campaign and pick up rubbish to protect Britain’s wildlife, beaches and other green spaces.
So far hundreds of thousands of people have pledged to take part in Keep Britain Tidy’s 10th annual Great British Spring Clean. But it is not too late to be involved with action planned all over the country between now and April 6th. The Prime Minister Keir Starmer also gave the campaign his backing and described everyone taking part as “ demonstrating that best of British spirit.” Writing exclusively in the Daily Mirror he said: “For the last ten years this fantastic event has set an inspiring example to us all. Over four million bags of rubbish have been collected and removed.
“But it’s more than just the cleaning. It’s also an act of national renewal. Working people, coming together, to do their bit for community pride. Black bin-liner, by black bin-liner, helping to build a better Britain.”
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More than 30 million tonnes of litter are dropped every year, costing the country the best part of £1 billion annually to clear up, injuring our wildlife and polluting our environment with plastic. But rubbish from the 1950s and 60 has been found on our beaches and beauty spots, showing the devastating long term impact plastic pollution has on the environment.
The haul also includes a Spar washing up liquid bottle estimated to be over 60-years-old, a Revlon deodorant from 1954 as well a medical instrument from the 1920s. The items are now on display at the Vintage Litter Museum, in Woodbridge, Suffolk, which showcases ditched rubbish to highlight the damage they can cause to wildlife as well as our rivers and seas.
Among its 450 items are empty crisp packets, washing-up liquid bottles – and perfectly preserved carrier bags. It is the brainchild of Jason Alexander, 55. from Ipswich, who in 2014 set up RubbishWalks, on which ramblers pick litter. “Every single one helps to reinforce just how long these items persist in the environment,” he said.
Wildlife photographer Jason, one of the country’s most prolific litter pickers, decided to document the junk he picked up while walking on Suffolk’s coastline. He has also amassed a collection of 100 Smarties lids, dating from the mid-1970s to late 1980s, as well as an early 1980s orange Tango can.
Other finds include a salted peanuts pack with a best before date of February 1983, a St Ivel margarine tub and various yoghurt pots from about the same time. He is one of many environmentally conscious Brits taking part in the 10th Great British Spring Clean which kicks off tomorrow.
Plastic litter on UK beaches has increased by 10 percent since 2023, a new study from the Marine Conservation Society revealed this week. Volunteers for the ocean charity collected 764,451 pieces of litter across surveyed coastlines – an average of 170 items per 100 metres of beach.
Most of Jason Alexander’s items have been found on Suffolk’s beaches. He explained: “Back in 2014 I set myself a challenge – to watch and photograph 100 sunrises in a year. I loved every minute of it. Being out in the fresh air and listening to the birds in the trees.
“But there was something that increasingly bugged me. Litter. Lots and lots of litter. Many of us have become blind to it, desensitised over time. But once you notice it and look for it, you see it everywhere.
“Single use plastic in all its forms – plastic bottles, straws, fast food cups and wrappers, sweet wrappers, crisp packets, carrier bags. Empty cans of beer or energy drinks. Balloons with ribbons. The list goes on and on.”
He added: ”I started to do regular beach cleans, river cleans and street cleans, litter picking on most of my walks. I shared my experiences via the Wildlife Gadget Man website and social media, hoping to inspire as many people as possible to do the same.
“As my awareness of the subject of plastic waste and our impact on the environment has grown so has my passion for trying to do something about it. I decided to create a dedicated website to highlight my efforts and to show how you, your friends, your family and your work colleagues can do the same. RubbishWalks.co.uk was born.
Keep Britain Tidy says we can all be part of the solution.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive, said: “Sadly, historical litter, which has sat washed up on beaches or decaying in shrubland, is all too common. Thank goodness we have an army of amazing #LitterHeroes who work so hard to remove litter from places it doesn’t belong.
“This spring, hundreds of thousands of people have pledged to take part in the Great British Spring Clean and take action to remove today’s litter so our environment is safe and clean for the future. We encourage everyone to pull on a pair of gloves, grab a litter picker and join us. So why not challenge yourself to see if you can find the oldest piece of litter in the land?”
HOW TO TAKE PART IN THE GREAT BRITISH SPRING CLEAN
Since it started litter heroes across the nation have picked up more than four million bags of harmful rubbish from streets, parks and beaches – that’s more than half a million wheelie bins.
Any one of any age can join the campaign but children should be joined by a responsible adult.
The Great British Spring Clean and Great Big School Clean 2025 will take place between now and 6 April. You can pledge to pick up a bag of litter – or more – as a group, individual or as a school via via keepbritaintidy.org/
WHAT DO I NEED?
T’S recommended that you use a litter-picker and some gloves. You should also wash your hands regularly. Of course, you will also need a bag to put the litter in.
Count and photograph the bags you collect, and share your pictures online using the hash-tag #LitterHeroes
You can place the litter straight into your own outdoor bins – if it fits or via your local authority recycling centres. Ends
SIGN UP ONLINE AT KEEPBRITAINTIDY.ORG
