Resolutions to Keep Wales Tidy

Environmental campaigners Keep Wales Tidy urge you to make a new year’s resolution that can really make a difference….

We all know that Wales is a beautiful country but look around and you can’t always see it. Whilst most of us care about our country, we often despair at the abundance of litter found on our streets.

Many of us are aware of the damaging effect this can have on the environment and  over 98 percent of Wales’s streets are littered*costing councils £100 million a year to clean. Its existence has a negative effect on how areas are perceived, making them look rundown and inviting other types of crime.

Keep Wales Tidy operates to create green spaces that can be cared for and enjoyed by all by working with communities, schools and volunteers. People are at the heart of what we do because our surroundings really do have an impact on personal wellbeing. If our streets and local parks are clean we can take so much more pleasure from them.

Our programmes educate people about why it is so important to look after the environment whilst showing how easy it is to take local action. Our project officers help individuals who want to make a difference form or join a group to improve their environment whilst instilling community pride. Spending time together in the fresh air is good for our health, allows us to meet new people and teaches us new skills.

Working with people from all walks of life, our officers challenge negative behaviour. Research shows that half of litterers think it’s excusable to drop litter when in a hurry and between 19% and 25%) also say that if others around them were dropping litter they would too**. Changing people’s attitudes and showing them that they are are responsible for their actions is the first step towards a cleaner Wales. When members of the community can see the positive impact made by their peers they are more likely to change their habits.

The I Will for Wales campaign is something we ask all volunteers to support and we’d like you to do the same and to ask your friends and family to do so as well. The campaign is an easy way to look after Wales and small changes to your daily routine can make your local area a better place to live. Pledges range from walking or cycling instead of using the car for short journeys and growing some of your own fruit and vegetables, to being a responsible pet owner by picking up after your dog. Please visit www.keepwalestidy.org to join the campaign and for more information about our other programmes.

Please support Keep Wales Tidy and help us work together for the good of Wales.

Sarah Philpott is Campaigns and Communications Officer for Keep Wales Tidy

*Evidence from The All Wales Local Environment Audit Management System Report (How Clean are our Streets?), published by Keep Wales Tidy
** Evidence from Litter in Wales: Understanding Littering and Litterers, a report compiled by Beaufort Research on behalf of Keep Wales Tidy.

For further information please email [email protected]