Five ways to get involved in the Great British September Clean

 The Covid-19 lockdown halted Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean earlier this year, but with new dates confirmed for September, CCEP’s Nick Brown explains how to get involved 

Although the Covid-19 outbreak delayed this year’s Great British Spring Clean, litter-picking is arguably more important than ever right now, with fears of a littering epidemic as restrictions ease. 

With this in mind, Keep Britain Tidy is running the Great British September Clean from 11–27 September to encourage individuals to do their bit for their communities in a safe and socially distanced way, and Coca-Cola will once again be a supporting partner. 

As part of our ‘This is forward’ sustainability action plan, we are passionate in our belief that none of our bottles or cans end up as litter, and are providing the tools for our colleagues to use their volunteering days to litter-pick safely in their communities if they wish to do so. 

While large community clean-ups are not encouraged this time, there are ways in which our retailer partners can get involved as hubs of their communities, to mobilise their shoppers as a force for good. 

As well as looking after the environment, engaging in litter-picking can help boost community spirit and bring people together (albeit in a socially distanced way). 

 1. Talk about litter-picking 

 You can promote clean-up activity in store by downloading a Great British September Clean poster from our Customer Hub, and by talking to your customers about the campaign.

Understandably, people will have questions about health and safety in the current climate, so you can also share some of the following clean-up tips to give them confidence, as well as directing them to the Keep Britain Tidy website for more information.

 2. Small groups are key 

It’s important to remember that large group clean-ups aren’t possible at the moment, but a litter-pick can be just as effective alone or in pairs. For those taking part in groups, this should involve a maximum of six people if from different households. 

 3. Keep socially distanced 

Keep Britain Tidy is asking volunteers to stay at least one metre apart from others – but it can be easy to forget when congregating at the start and end of a clean-up. Also, if you’re cleaning a public place like a park or a playground, think about when it’s likely to be quieter, and plan your clean-up for then. 

 4. Keeping kit clean 

If you have litter-pickers at your store that people in your community can use, that’s great. We’d suggest keeping them outside the store for people to collect, alongside a bottle of anti-bacterial spray so they can clean equipment before and after use. We’d encourage volunteers to bring their own gloves. 

 5. Collaborate with the council 

For anyone taking part in clean-ups, it’s important to check that local councils can pick up the litter or recycling you collect. Unless this is confirmed in advance, it’s probably best not to collect more litter or recycling than can fit in a bin at home or at your store. 

Retailer view

Amrit Singh, Nisa Local High Heath, Walsall, West Midlands

“Getting involved in clean-ups is a great way of doing something good in the community. Sadly, we’ve seen a real increase in littering in recent weeks, so we’re pleased to see that the September Clean is running to help raise awareness.

“We’ll definitely be encouraging people to get involved and will make our litter picking equipment available. Whether it’s for 10 minutes or 10 hours, every little help.”

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