The Great British Spring Clean is the nation’s biggest mass-action environmental campaign.
In 2024, the campaign returns from 15 March to 31 March.
Last year, our incredible #LitterHeroes pledged to pick more than 400,000 bags of litter throughout the campaign period.
See Keep Britain Tidy for more details.
Want to litter pick at another time of year? See our Get Involved pages.
‘Agriculture is the biggest sector we regulate in terms of individual businesses, with around 100,000 premises covering 70% of the land in England’.
This Environment Agency (EA) blog highlights ‘how the EA works together with farmers to bring the changes and improvements which will protect our future land and resources and secure better compliance with environmental regulations.’
‘The Environment Agency is urging businesses and the public to help in the fight against waste crime.
Waste crime is a blight on our communities and environment. From blatant examples like fly-tipping rubbish by the roadside to environmental permit breaches and money-laundering, these activities can endanger people’s safety and undermine legitimate waste businesses.
On top of that, waste crime costs the economy in England an estimated £1 billion per year – that’s the same as the combined starting salary of over 38,000 newly-qualified nurses.’
See this Environment Agency press release to find out what actions are currently taking place and how we can work together to reduce this problem.
‘Over the last three years 4,500+ people have helped remove over 216,000 items of single-use pollution from the places they love
We’ve estimated that there might be as many as 9.1 million items of SUP (Single Use Pollution – ‘litter’) on the UK’s recreational trails. This means that a walker, runner or rider could, on average, encounter a piece of SUP every 24 metres’.
Find out more in Trash Free Trails ‘State Of Our Trails Report‘ (2023)
Notting Hill Carnival is Europe’s biggest annual festival in London that attracts 2 million partygoers over the August Bank Holiday.
SUEZ recycling and recovery UK has been involved in the clean-up for Carnival since 1997 on behalf of Kensington and Chelsea Council.
Over two evenings, dedicated waste crews from SUEZ work through the night to clear away rubbish and cleanse the streets.
This 9 minute behind-the-scenes film (YouTube) by SUEZ recycling and recovery UK reveals the planning involved to remove over 300 tonnes of litter!
‘The ban, promised as part of the government’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, will make nitrous oxide a controlled Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Earlier this year, the Home Secretary urged police forces to get tough on flagrant drug taking in local communities, with reports linking nitrous oxide to antisocial behaviour such as intimidating gatherings on high streets and in children’s parks, often leaving empty canisters scattered across public spaces.
There are still many necessary uses for nitrous oxide and those with a legitimate reason for possessing the substance will be exempt from the ban. For example, it will continue to be lawful for catering purposes and in maternity wards when used as pain relief during labour.
Licences will not be required to carry nitrous oxide, but individual users will need to demonstrate they are lawfully in possession of nitrous oxide and not intending to consume it for psychoactive effects.’
Find out more here: Gov.uk.
One of the ways to stop crime in the waste sector is through working with Government to improve the regulatory system to make it harder for crime to be possible.
Proposed changes to the waste exemptions regime will bring protection to legitimate businesses in the waste industry, because we know that some types of waste exemptions have been routinely used by unscrupulous operators to hide illegal waste activities from regulatory control, whilst providing a veil of legitimacy.
Check what is changing and get yourself ready for change, as you may need to restrict your waste activity, get a permit or stop altogether.
See this Environment Agency blog to find out more.
Thanks to funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon & Cornwall (PCC), the Devon Community Foundation have funding available for projects and initiatives which contribute to the Police and Crime plan, by:
Reducing violence
Tackling anti-social behaviour
Tackling or mitigating drug use
Supporting victims of crime
Grants will support projects and organisations that support the PCC to achieve one or more of the above four priorities within their Safer Communities plan.
Applications could include actions which;
Community foundations exist to facilitate the giving of funds into our local communities, to help them and their community reach their full potential. That means living safe, happy, and fulfilled lives, which we know is what happens when we come together.
Deadline for applications: 12 noon on Wednesday 8th November 2023
This week at Newton Abbot Magistrates Court saw the successful prosecution of Colleen Hooper for fly tipping in Sainsbury’s car park Newton Abbot.
Two black sacks along with a council black recycling box that included household waste, face masks and used COVID test kits were dumped next to the recycling skips labelled for recycling plastic, glass, and cardboard etc. There is a large sign informing patrons that any waste or recycling left outside of the skips would be treated as an offence of fly tipping and could result in a fine or prosecution. There are similar signs on the skips themselves. None of the items that Ms Hooper dumped were those that could have been placed in the skips for recycling.
Ms Hooper had failed to pay the fixed penalty notice (FPN) issued by the Council and Newton Abbot Magistrates Court found Ms Hooper guilty of the offence and she was ordered to pay a fine of £440 plus a surcharge of £179 and the council were awarded its full costs of the investigation and prosecution of the case which amounted to £865.08 totalling the amount owed under the Court Order to £1,481.08.
One in four Britons see the environment as an important issue for the country.
Do you know how to spot waste crime taking place?
This Environment Agency (EA) blog outlines their role in regulation of waste, how to stop waste criminals spoiling our environment, and how to report waste crime anonymously through Crimestoppers.