Keep Britain Tidy today thanked an army of litter-pickers across Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside who pledged to collect 48,128 bags of litter in the region during the 2026 Great British Spring Clean.
The North West’s contribution has been hailed a huge success after individuals, community groups, businesses and local authorities in the region joined forces to protect the environment – and local wildlife – throughout the annual movement.
Over the course of the campaign, ancient and bizarre treasures have been collected across the nation, including toy soldiers, underpants and food packaging 40 years past its sell by date!
The Wigan-based charity, which is the leading organisation in the country campaigning against litter, has also announced that a school in the region has scooped a Great British Spring Clean award.
Mill Green School, an SEN school in St Helens for students aged 14-19, won the Super Students Award after the charity heard during the campaign, 152 students got involved with litter picking activities on school grounds, the surrounding area and local community park.
They contacted other local high schools to engage them in litter picking activities, helping them clean up their school grounds and surrounding area.
In addition, waste management firm Biffa’s Manchester-based Social Value and Canvassing team has won the Best in Business Award after the charity heard staff pulled out all the stops to help make this year’s campaign in Manchester the best yet. The small team responded to every request to attend litter picking events across Manchester including eight Keep Manchester Tidy events and dozens more community and neighbourhood team events.
They even took an information stall with freebies to most events to encourage people to get involved and put on family activities such as decorating food waste caddies.
Using data from those who shared their region, the charity revealed tens of thousands of Litter Heroes across the North West removed rubbish from the region’s streets, parks and beaches.
At the same time, thousands of pupils in schools across the region took part in the Great Big School Clean, learning about the impact litter has on our wildlife and seeing for themselves that small actions, when taken together, can make a big difference.
Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, said: “Thanks to the collective force of determined North West residents we are celebrating an incredible number of bags picked across the region’s counties.
“It’s clear that the impact of people-power here has been huge, proving that the people of the North West really do love where they live.
“We remain truly in awe of the efforts of our supporters and volunteers across the region’s communities, schools, voluntary organisations, businesses and local authorities – thank you to all of you.”
Around 95% of people surveyed after 2025’s campaign agreed that they made a difference to their local area during the Great British Spring Clean, with 88% agreeing they feel part of a national movement that is taking action to tackle litter.
The Great British Spring Clean is the nation’s biggest mass-action campaign. This year’s event was made possible thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery, media partners Bauer Media Outdoor, Magic Radio and The Mirror, and supporting partners KFC, Mars Wrigley, McDonald’s, Nestlé, Pepsi MAX and Walkers.