Forestry England rangers and volunteers have joined forces with teams from McDonald’s, Teign Bean Coffee, Go Ape, and Forestry Commission staff for their fifth mass Big Spring Clean around the Haldon Forest area.
Around 30 enthusiastic volunteers pulled on their hi-viz and grabbed their binbags to clean up the roads, verges and gateways within a four mile radius of Haldon Forest Park. In just two short hours, the teams collected a whopping 79 bags of litter. Several fly tips were also found, including tyres, piles of building waste, and even a fridge freezer.
Haldon Forest Park visitor services officer, Candice Clarke, said: “I’m delighted to welcome our local business partners back for our fifth Big Spring Clean. As countryside lovers, it’s impossible to understand why people throw litter from their vehicles or drive here specially to fly tip their rubbish. Litter spoils the landscape, can fuel wildfires, and causes damage to natural ecosystems.
“We collected more litter this year than we have for some time, so it’s disappointing to think that more people are dropping their waste in the countryside. But that makes it more important than ever that we come together to tidy up the area and prevent litter from spreading any further into the forest. Many hands really do make light work and it’s always rewarding to strengthen our relationships with our neighbours.”
McDonald’s Franchisee, David Shawyer, who owns and operates several restaurants in the local area, said: “Like so many in our community, I love Haldon Forest Park and the recreation and open space it provides for all of us to enjoy. We are committed to being a good neighbour in the communities we serve, so my team and I were delighted to take part in this litter pick with Forestry England and help clean up the area. It’s brilliant to see the difference a collective effort can make.”.
While Forestry England staff litter pick areas of Haldon Forest seven days a week, McDonald’s crew members have been cleaning up litter dropped in local communities for over 35 years. Crews across the UK cover a total of 5,000 miles each week on litter patrols (where they collect litter from any origin, not just their own.) This equates to 260,000 miles, or the distance from Earth to the Moon since the programme began in the late ‘80s.
McDonald’s has been working to make recycling easier over the past four years too, and since 2015, has installed over 1,100 new recycling units, meaning it’s easier to separate plastics and cups for recycling in 85% of its restaurants.
You can join us on our social media pages, follow us on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and Threads where you can keep up to date with whats going on in South Devon.
Got a news story, blog or press release that you’d like to share or want to advertise with us? Get in touch via email admin@wearesouthdevon.com
