Rochdale pledges to clean up for the Great British September clean

Rochdale Borough Council has pledged its support for this year’s Great British September Clean, run by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.

The campaign, which was originally scheduled to run earlier in the year had to be postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, is back from 11 to 27 September. The campaign aims to bring together people taking action to clean up streets, parks and beaches across the country.

The clean-up initiative is backed by TV wildlife presenter and children’s favourite Steve Backshall and is seeking small groups, individuals, community organisations, businesses and councils to show they love where they live. Last year saw more than half a million #LitterHeroes who collected more than 900,000 bags of rubbish.

Last year, the council collected more than 100 bags of rubbish kindly litter picked by local community groups. The borough has 2,220km of footpaths and 684 hectares of parks to keep clean, so everyone is encouraged to play their part.

 

 

Keep Britain Tidy deputy chief executive Richard McIlwain said: “The overwhelming response to last year’s Great British Spring Clean showed that hundreds of thousands of people who love where they live and are prepared to take action to make it better for themselves, their families and their communities.

“We are delighted that Rochdale 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.”

Local #LitterHeroes ambassador Paul Ellison said: "A massive thank you goes to the council, as always, for supporting this initative. It's vital that we keep our beautiful borough looking its best and removing as much litter as we can, so that we can enjoy all it has to offer, but also so our wildlife can live unharmed by our actions."

The campaign aims to see tonnes of litter being removed from the environment on our doorstep, but also to rescue thousands of the plastic bottles and aluminium drinks cans that can easily be recycled.

However, the council urge that any discarded PPE, such as single-use facemasks and gloves should be avoided for health reasons – something that is being tackled.

Council leader Allen Brett added: “We are fully supporting this year’s Great British September clean and allocating additional funding to help clean up our borough. We have seen a significant increase in littering over the summer and we need to take a stand and make a difference to the beautiful borough in which we live. If we all just do our part, our streets, town centres and beauty spots can be places we can all be proud of.”

Councillor Neil Emmott, Rochdale Borough Council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “Although this year’s September clean campaign will work a little differently, we are still encouraging family members, community groups and volunteers to support the cause in making Rochdale becoming a cleaner and greener borough by collecting rubbish from our streets and green spaces, while following local guidance.

“Thank you to all residents who continue to do what they can to keep Rochdale tidy and maintain our positive recycling rates.”

Social distancing measures and appropriate PPE should be in place at all clean-ups, with groups of up to six people. Litter picking kits can be provided by the council to anyone wanting to roll up their sleeves and take part.

Find out more about the campaign and ways to get involved, visit:

• rochdale.gov.uk/litterpick

To find out more about the Great British September Clean visit: 

• keepbritaintidy.org/GBSeptemberClean