Litter Heroes pledged to pick up 451,887 bags of rubbish during #GBSpringClean - Keep Britain Tidy

Communities answered our call to support country’s biggest environmental campaign!

Keep Britain Tidy today (1 April 2026) thanked an army of litter-pickers who pledged to collect 451,887 bags of litter during the 2026 Great British Spring Clean.

More than 585,000 volunteers in every corner of the country took part in the national effort to remove bags of rubbish from our streets, parks and beaches and protect our wildlife.

At the same time, thousands of pupils in schools across the country took part in the Great Big School Clean, learning about the impact litter has on our wildlife and seeing for themselves that small actions, when taken together, can make a big difference.

Over the course of the campaign, ancient and bizarre treasures have been collected by volunteers across the nation, including toy soldiers, underpants and food packaging 40 years past its sell by date!

“Thanks to the collective force of determined UK residents we are celebrating an incredible number of bags picked across the nation. It’s clear that the impact of people-power here has been huge, proving that people really do love where they live. We remain truly in awe of the efforts of our supporters and volunteers across the region’s communities, schools, voluntary organisations, businesses and local authorities – thank you to every one of you.” Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive