7,600

4 Feb 2010, 15:10 Add Comment

What is it? Over 7,600 bags of rubbish have been collected in Big Tidy Ups across the North West over the past 17 months.

Why does it matter? Litter is 'waste in the wrong place caused by a human agency'. Litter can be everything from cigarette butts to food waste. Two million pieces of litter are dropped everyday in the UK. Litter not only looks terrible, but the state of our streets can have a negative impact on our quality of life. Research shows that people feel less safe in places blighted by graffiti and grime. The financial implications of litter are huge.

Not only does it cost the taxpayer a massive £780m a year to clean our streets, the appearance of our towns and cities has an impact on the local economy. Streets that are clean and attractive encourage investment into an area.

What should we do? Don't drop litter. Pick it up. You can contact Keep Britain Tidy who runs the Big Tidy Up campaign. The country's leading anti-litter campaigner, this environmental charity works with everyone, from individuals to community groups, to businesses to local authorities, to tackle the problem of litter. Launched in September 2008, the Big Tidy Up is England's biggest ever litter tidy up, helping communities get together to clean up their local areas. Anyone can get involved at whatever level they wish. It is about communities, neighbours, friends and businesses, doing their bit to tidy up their local patch.

What if nothing is done? First and foremost the North West will suffer both the growing financial costs of cleaning the streets and the cost to the local economy. The appearance of an area can have a negative impact on the people who live, play and work there and affect their quality of life.

Who is leading the way? Trafford Council is an enthusiastic supporter of the Big Tidy Up campaign and has been selected as one of the 11 local authority Big Tidy Up champions. Trafford Council has organised 22 clean ups in their community and are continuing to do so. In addition there are weekly clean up events taking place on the back of the council's promotion of the Big Tidy Up.

Further reading: http://www.keepbritaintidy.org/

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