Wiltshire schools have been awarded for ‘fantastic’ litter picking

Eight schools have received an award for reducing litter in Wiltshire towns and parishes.

As part of the Don’t Mess with Wiltshire campaign, which was introduced by Wiltshire Council last year, pupils abandoned the classroom and went to pick up litter in their local areas.

The winning schools, including Bishops Cannings CofE Primary School whose pupils spent more than 100 hours picking litter, each received a new play bin.

Nick Holder, cabinet member for highways, said “the volume of litter collected and the number of hours that have been donated to this cause is fantastic”.

A total of 51 schools across the county participated in the Great Big School Clean.

The Don’t Mess with Wiltshire campaign was established in February 2023 and is supported by several litter collection groups in Wiltshire.

Between community groups and schools, volunteers have so far collected almost 10 tonnes of rubbish in around 1,100 hours, which equates to around a month and a half of working day and night.

Mr Holder called the litter “a blight on Wiltshire’s beautiful landscapes” and went on to highlight the risk it poses to wildlife and the environment.

He added: “If we can encourage more people to help us fight litter, we can spend the money we spend on litter cleaning, currently around £2m a year, on other essential services instead.”

The council has promised to continue its regular litter collection along the county’s roads, but hopes the campaign will educate the public about different ways to dispose of litter responsibly, such as using bins or taking litter home.

Mr Holder called on residents to take responsibility for their local landscapes and concluded: “It would be better if litter wasn’t there to be collected in the first place.”