Rubbish Roundup 22nd March

Rubbish Roundup 22nd March

Organised litter picks across Salisbury and Amesbury are set to be supported by Wiltshire Council. Community groups across Wiltshire will now be able to organise and participate in litter picking events as part of the Great British Spring Clean, if the event is arranged with the help of council community engagement managers (CEM). Groups will then be able to get litter picking equipment and advice from the council to ensure their event runs smoothly.

Wiltshire Council said it wants to support communities and show appreciation for their hard work in keeping Wiltshire a special place to live and work.

If you live in the areas, you can find out more, or register a litter picking event by visiting www.wiltshire.gov.uk/salisbury-amesbury

The popular BBC period drama Poldark has been blamed for a rise in litter on Cornish beaches. Tourists have flocked to the area since seeing its stunning natural beauty on TV, and fed up locals have complained that increased tourism has resulted in more litter.

Most of the beach scenes on Poldark are filmed in St Austell, where a local councillor, James Mustoe, runs a team of volunteer beach litter pickers called the St Austell Tidy Up Team. Mr Mustoe commented that the extra tourism has caused a huge increase in litter and has left the beach looking ‘like a battlefield.’

One of the volunteers commented that even though she’s a fan of the show, the ‘Poldark effect’ has meant that local people have had to work extra hard to keep the area clean and tidy. She added that people do understand that the extra tourism is good for the local area and businesses, however. The tourist board, Visit Cornwall, estimates that 14% of all tourism in the area is driven by the show.

A litter clean up challenge has been trending online, and has been encouraging people to pick up rubbish and share before and after pictures on social media.

The hashtag #trashtag has been very visible on Twitter and Instagram, and people from across the world have been sharing pictures of themselves cleaning up their local areas. Many people have praised the challenge and have commented on how great it is that social media is being used for something good, instead of to just spread silly trends.

One Twitter user cleans up an area in Oldham, which they say they’ve ‘adopted.’ They said that they hope the challenge will raise awareness about litter and encourage more people to pick litter without feeling embarrassed.

Some participants have shared pictures of themselves filling up rubbish bags at beaches and parks, and in fields, alongside messages encouraging others to get involved.