A new intervention to tackle litter and fundraise for good causes in the Yorkshire town of Heckmondwike has been hailed a success.
Keep Britain Tidy’s ‘Bin It For Good’ scheme helped reduce litter by 52% and saw local charities rewarded for responsible litter disposal over a period of three months this summer. Every piece of rubbish binned in the Market Square’s high-visibility smart bins in the town counted toward donations to three much-loved local causes, all nominated and voted for by residents. The following charities will receive a total of £1,500 as a result:
- Rainbow Baby Bank, which will be using the funds to support the increase in families needing its help
- Brighter Grays, which will be investing the money in continuing to support to children and their families who have suffered a bereavement
- Magic Wishing Well, a much-loved local food bank
The initiative is the first of a series to champion the Love Where You Live: Heckmondwike campaign, galvanising local people to reconnect with their community and play a part in making their environment cleaner, greener and more cared for. The new approach comes amid growing concerns about litter, fly-tipping and lack of public engagement and will see a number of initiatives rolled out in the community over the coming months.
Throughout the months ahead, Heckmondwike will see everything from school-led clean-ups and litter-picking days to business partnerships and initiatives tackling specific issues such as dog mess, fly-tipping and cigarette litter. The aim is to empower the community with the tools and incentives they need to help make a real difference. The impact of each initiative will be carefully measured with the aim of creating a blueprint for other towns facing similar issues.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive at Keep Britain Tidy, said:
“We are delighted by the impact that the ‘Bin it for Good’ initiative has had on the levels of litter in Heckmondwike and the positive feedback from residents. It’s a win-win situation – local charities receive funding and we have cleaner streets. When there is less litter in our community, then local authorities can divert funding to other important areas instead. We’d love for other towns to benefit from this intervention and see it rolled out across the country.”
Samantha Cottam, manager at Rainbow Baby Bank, which was the first to receive its donation from the scheme, said:
“We are thrilled to have been part of ‘Bin it for Good’ and benefit from the donations made by Keep Britain Tidy. The number of families needing our help has increased dramatically due to the cost-of-living crisis. We all want to see a cleaner, tidier Heckmondwike, and the money raised by simply disposing of rubbish will make a huge difference to our charity.”
Love Where You Live Heckmondwike is part of the Litter Pact project by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, with support from Kirklees Council, and leading food and drinks brands Coca-Cola, KFC, Mars Wrigley, McDonald’s and Nestlé with the aim of investing in research and programmes to reduce litter. The campaign is being closely watched as a test model for broader adoption across the UK.
