One bag can make a difference as county backs litter pick
22 Mar 2022 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news
The County Council is once again pledging its support as Keep Britain Tidy launches its annual Great British Spring Clean.
This year’s mass campaign, from 25 March to 10 April, calls on families, neighbours, friends and colleagues to join forces and pledge to pick a bag of litter from nearby streets, beauty spots and beaches in order to protect our vibrant communities and precious wildlife habitats.
It comes as the charity reveals taking eco action in the outdoors appears to be critical to the wellbeing of our communities, with significant benefits to people’s mental health.
In a survey of people who took part in 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 a staggering 91% agreed they felt more pride in their local area after participating.
Almost everybody surveyed (98%) agreed the campaign reduced the impact of litter on wildlife and the natural environment.
Councillor John Riddle, Cabinet Member for Local Services with Northumberland County Council, said: “We’ve always been a big supporter of this event and we know how much pride people have in keeping our county neat and tidy.
“The county is famous for being green and clean and we want everyone to play their part in keeping it that way.
“Whether it’s the local park, green space, beach or just the local streets we'd encourage as many people as possible to get involved.”
Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, said: “In the past two years our outdoor spaces and places have mattered to us more than ever before as more people have embraced them during the pandemic – and with this we know local authorities like Northumberland have had an extra battle on their hands to keep them clean and green.
“During this year’s Great British Spring Clean, we are calling on everyone in Northumberland to harness the power of collective environmental action by taking on the #BigBagChallenge.
“Whether it’s pledging to pick just one bag, or more, we can all carry out small acts of kindness - for our planet and for ourselves.”
Bagged litter can be placed in the general household waste bin, with any recyclable items such as plastic bottles and drinks cans going in the recycling bin.
For larger amounts of litter volunteers can either deliver the bagged waste for disposal at one of the Council’s network of local Household Waste Recovery Centres, or alternatively make contact with the Council to agree collection arrangements.
Anyone wanting to request litter picking equipment from the council or arrange for the removal of bagged collected litter can contact