A Guide to Litter Picking with Keep Britain Tidy

Thousands of volunteers across the UK are being supported to pick litter thanks to the #LitterHeroes programme delivered by Keep Britain Tidy.

The environmental charity recently launched a new registration scheme to support its national network of volunteer litter-pickers after recording around 6,000 volunteers on one social media group alone, showing the public’s growing appetite for taking action to protect our precious spaces from litter pollution. The environmental programme, made possible thanks to the support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery and its Earth Trust, empowers individuals and groups to keep their communities litter-free. New and existing volunteers can register for the scheme and will receive ongoing support, guidance and benefits when they do.

The charity defines a #LitterHero as “someone who is interested in actively volunteering their time to pick up litter, reduce waste, and improve the environment around them”. As well as blighting our streets, parks and beaches, litter harms wildlife, domestic pets and livestock, and costs us nearly £1 billion a year to clean up. This year alone so far, Keep Britain Tidy’s #LitterHeroes collected more than 400,000 bags of litter during the charity’s annual Great British Spring Clean campaign.

They are supported by 170 volunteer #LitterHeroes Ambassadors who help oversee their activities.

Registered #LitterHeroes benefit from the charity’s dedicated webpage and resources to help them with their litter-picking efforts, organise events and connect with other local #LitterHeroes. Registration gives them exclusive access to campaigns and content from fellow #LitterHeroes, access to the official downloadable Keep Britain Tidy #LitterHeroes logos for social media, equipment, posters and a new quarterly newsletter. Volunteers who register will also have access to a dedicated staff member to respond to queries and give advice.

Litter-picking is a great opportunity for everyone – families, schools, communities, businesses – to get outside and do something that is good for the planet and good for them too. Taking eco action in the outdoors appears to be critical to the wellbeing of our communities, with significant benefits to people’s mental health. Keep Britain Tidy’s research with volunteers shows that people feel happier and less anxious after as a result of taking part in litter picking. In a survey of people who took part in the charity’s annual campaign, the Great British Spring Clean, 2021, 86% said volunteering helped improve their mood, up from up 79% in 2020. More than half (52%) agreed it helped them meet new people and make friends. And last year, 60% of children and young people told a survey they felt happier when they are doing an ‘eco-action’ like litter-picking outside.

Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, said:

“Our #LitterHeroes movement is a way for us to support - and recognise - all the hard work done by thousands of our volunteers up and down the country who work tirelessly to make their streets, parks and beaches clean and healthy spaces that everyone can enjoy.

“We’re delighted to be able to offer enhanced support and advice through the revamped registration scheme, and we’d be thrilled to welcome even more like-minded people into our #LitterHeroes family to help us continue our fight to keep Britain tidy.”

Register as a LitterHero: www.keepbritaintidy.org/get-involved/ volunteer/litter-heroes

Guide to Litter picking: www.keepbritaintidy.org/sites/default/ files/resources/C%26C%20Guide_0.pdf

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