Published: Wednesday, 20th March 2019
Cannock Chase Council has pledged its support for this year`s Great British Spring Clean, run by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.
The campaign which runs from 22 March to 23 April will see up to half a million people taking action to clean streets, parks and beaches across the country.
The Council`s Street Cleansing team is encouraging local residents and community groups across Cannock Chase District to get involved.
This year`s campaign will not only see tonnes of litter being removed from the environment on our doorstep, it also aims to rescue thousands of the plastic bottles and aluminium drink cans that are simply thrown on the ground but could very easily be recycled.
Volunteers are being asked to separate the litter they pick into separate bags for general rubbish and recyclable waste i.e. plastic bottles and aluminium cans.
The Council will then collect these bags to ensure that they are recycled appropriately.
Councillor John Preece, Leader of the Environment said: “We are calling on residents to help improve the environment they live in and to take part in the country`s biggest ever clean up. If you would like to get involved, the Council can help by providing litter picking equipment and will collect the bags of rubbish you collect.
“Contact the Street Cleansing team on 01543 462621 or email streetcleansing@cannockchasedc.gov.uk.”
Keep Britain Tidy Chief Executive Allison Ogden-Newton said: “The Great British Spring Clean is an opportunity for the millions of people who care about the environment on their doorstep to do something positive that will make a visible difference.
“We are delighted that Cannock Chase Council is supporting this year’s campaign and would like to thank them for their support.
“Without councils across the country giving the campaign their backing, our volunteers would not be able to do the incredible job they do.”
In addition to this, the Council will be installing a ballot bin in Cannock Town Centre to tackle the problem of cigarette butt littering.
The ballot bin will display a question and two answers. Smokers vote by putting their cigarette butt in the slot underneath their preferred answer. The litter stacks up behind the clear glass columns showing which answer is the most popular.
It is hoped by using interactive and gamification it will bring about positive behaviour change towards the environment. This has been supported by an independent evaluation which shows that using the ballot bin approach reduces littering of cigarette butts by 46%.
Further ballot bins will be installed in Hednesford and Rugeley town centres in the coming months.
To find out more about the Great British Spring Clean and how the Council is supporting this initiative, visit www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/GBSpringClean