Fly tipping and pollution
Great British Spring Clean: 1,750 bags of rubbish removed from Walsall streets
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Volunteers in Walsall joined forces to collect more than 1,750 bags of rubbish as part of a national litter-picking campaign.
During the Great British Spring Clean, organised by Keep Britain Tidy, 540 volunteers took part in 33 organised events in Walsall.
The campaign brought together local litter-picking groups, councillors, charities, children, businesses, council staff and faith communities.
This culminated in a total of 994 hours of volunteer time, the equivalent of one person litter-picking non-stop for over 41 days.
“ This year's campaign focussed on the idea of loving where you live – which ties in with our priority to promote pride in the borough and to tackle the blight of fly-tipping.
“I can’t thank the people who litter pick in Walsall enough, and not just for these two weeks, a lot of people give so much time across the year.
“The work they do has a real impact too, the amount of rubbish collected across this campaign, and since Walsall Community Litter Watch launched, is staggering. “
The efforts in Walsall were kicked off in the town centre by Walsall Council staff on 21 March, making use of allotted voluntary hours. More than 50 staff took to the street and collected 87 bags of rubbish.
“ Our litter pickers in Walsall do fantastic work all year round and our borough looks better thanks to their hard work.
“It can be disheartening to see fly-tipping and littering reappear after efforts, and this is something that needs to change in Walsall.
“Through a two-pronged approach of education and enforcement, we will continue changing the behaviour of those who create this issue.
“I would just encourage everyone locally to have a look at the ways they can dispose of their waste in the correct manner and to get involved with litter picking where they can, it is very rewarding. “
Following the successful two weeks of action, Walsall Council is encouraging more residents to come forward and have an impact. The authority can provide hi-vis jackets, litter pickers, gloves and bags.
Information on how to volunteer, groups to get involved with and how to request equipment can all be found at https://go.walsall.gov.uk/people-and-communities/volunteering/community-litter-picking
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