TIDY Northern Ireland, in partnership with the Department of the Environment’s Rethink Waste Campaign and the Belfast Telegraph, is calling on everyone to support and participate in this year’s BIG SPRING CLEAN.
TIDY Northern Ireland launched The BIG Spring Clean campaign in 2010. It attracted 2,416 volunteers who collected 4 tonnes of rubbish in one week. In 2011 a staggering five-fold increase in volunteers (13,600) collected 122 tonnes of rubbish, again in one week. So, due to popular demand and the growing number of volunteers the campaign has now been extended for 2012 to run for a whole month: 1st April – 30th April 2012 with the support of the Department of Environment and all the councils.
Alex Attwood, Environment Minister, said “The appeal of our country is its clean and green image that is compromised, damaged and prejudiced by litter, be it marine litter, street litter or any other sort of litter. It creates the wrong message and the wrong image. The Big Spring Clean is a short sharp shock therapy to do a lot of clean up in a short space of time to highlight the risks of litter on one hand and the opportunity to make it better on the other.
My children did a beach tidy at Newtownabbey in the autumn. It was shocking what we picked up – old tyres, huge pieces of metal, bottles, plastic bags. We were there for less than an hour and the amount of rubbish of all sorts that was picked up was unbelievable. This was in Belfast Lough, a lovely part of Whiteabbey. This is a great quality environment, yet the rubbish was everywhere.
If you’re walking along you don’t sometimes notice the litter – it’s only when you stop, notice the litter and pick it up that you begin to realise the scale of the problem.”
TIDY Northern Ireland is co-ordinating the effort which is supported by the DOE’s Rethink Waste campaign. The Rethink Waste campaign aims to encourage everyone at home, at work, at school and in the local community to reduce, reuse and recycle more through small steps to protect and improve the environment.
TIDY Northern Ireland is asking individuals and groups to help spruce up Northern Ireland and freshen up those tired looking street corners, beaches, fields and roadsides ready for everyone to enjoy through the summer.
Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of TIDY Northern Ireland said “Seeing The BIG Spring Clean grow five-fold in just one year shows that thousands of people across Northern Ireland really do love where they live. Most people don’t drop litter. This campaign helps people go a step further and set clear standards for the littering few by removing litter, graffiti and waste. Improving local environments in this way not only helps cut the cost of street cleansing, currently close to £40,000,000 annually, but also benefits our health and wellbeing. Visitor’s experience, inward investment and quality of life are all improved too. So let’s make it happen together. Join us and be part of something BIG!
The campaign also has the support of all 26 councils in Northern Ireland who would like to encourage these clean ups all year round.
So what can you do to help? For information on how to get involved or just register your support you can go to the TIDY Northern Ireland website, www.bigspringcleanni.org
Alternatively you can talk to your local council or ring TIDY Northern Ireland direct on 028 9073 6920.
