Litter picking: Great British Spring Clean and Great British School Clean start

The Great British Spring Clean and Great British School Clean have started.

From 17 March to 2 April organisers want people, organisations or schools to make a promise or pledge to pick up at least one bag of litter.

Litter doesn't just look horrible, it also causes huge problems for communities and wildlife.

According to charity Keep Britain Tidy, which organises the Spring Clean, research more than 8.5 million adults in the UK have done litter-picking at least once in the past six months.

They want to draw more attention to the problem and get people involved.

What's the problem with litter?

Rubbish can be dangerous to animals especially birds

More than two million pieces of litter are dropped each day, according to get Britain Tidy.

Common litter includes fast-food packaging, sweet wrappers and drink cans.

The trouble is if this is just left, it can take years to break down and can damage wildlife.

The animal welfare charity the RSPCA say they have on average ten calls a day about animals affected by litter, they estimate the actual number is much higher because injured animals and birds are not always found.

How can you take part in the Great British Spring Clean?

To take part in the Great British Spring Clean individuals or community groups can make a pledge to pick up one bag of litter or more.

There's also the Great British School Clean which encourages schools to get in on the action as well.

According to the organisers every child who attended school in the UK pledged to pick up just one bag of litter during the Great Big School Clean,10.3 million bags of litter would be removed from our natural environment.   

Tips for litter picking safely

Litter can be dangerous to humans as well as wildlife so there are some tips to taking part in a litter pick safely.

1. Always take an adult with you

2. Use strong gloves, make sure they don't have any holes!

3. Use a litter picker or grabber (a lot of councils give them out for free)

4. Take a strong bag to put the litter in

5. Never pick up anything sharp

Are you doing anything special to keep your school or local area clean? Let us know in the comments.