Join as a local authority

Take part as a local authority 

We know that you and your teams are are working hard 365 days a year to tackle litter - thank you for everything you do.

The Great British Spring Clean will take place from 13 to 29 March  2026. This is the time when the rest of the country could join you - a great chance to encourage residents to get involved with our mission!

Last year 485 local authorities and town and parish councils joined us and supported local Litter Heroes in their area.   

How to join as a local authority

Let us know your local authority will take part in 2026, by completing the form below. We will ask you some questions which will help us point local volunteers in the right direction, such as; 

• Do you loan equipment to local residents?
• Where should people leave the Great British Spring Clean haul for collection?
• Do you have any organised events people can join? 

Benefits of joining as a local authority 

When we start promoting the Great British Spring Clean In February 2026, you'll receive an email letting you know how to register your interest in receiving free Great British Spring Clean litter bags (first come, first served).

You will be also granted access to our local authority partner pack which has been put together to help you activate the campaign internally with colleagues, and externally to your networks. This pack contains several resources to help spread the word about the campaign;  

• An email signature
• A template for internal comms
• A template press release
• A one-page overview of this year’s campaign
• Social media assets and guide
• A certificate of participation
• A game of litter bingo and other fun resources like a big bag tally
• Empty belly print ready A4 posters.

Great British Spring Clean Awards

We also operate an awards scheme for the Great British Spring Clean, where you can nominate one of your local Litter Heroes, a school, or even a colleague for our Outstanding Organiser Award to recognise local authorities and town/parish councils and members that have gone above and beyond to tackle litter during the Great British Spring Clean.

Find out more about awards

Why should your local authority sign up? 

Litter blights our streets, parks and beaches and costs the public purse nearly £1 billion pounds a year to clear up. The environmental damage caused by littering translates into substantial social costs as governments and councils spend a lot of money on litter cleanup that could have been allocated to other activities. 

Litter also attracts litter. Research conducted by Keep Britain Tidy showed that people are more likely to litter where litter is present. The presence of litter can act as an environmental cue (indicating the cleanliness of the site) and a social cue (implying that it is socially acceptable to litter at an already littered site). 

Littering can have a negative impact on property values in an affected area, discouraging potential buyers, and can also harm the tourism industry because visitors are less likely to return to a visually unappealing location due to litter, which in turn can reduce revenue for local businesses and hotels. 

We aim to encourage a sense of pride across communities during and beyond the campaign, tapping into a desire to live in clean and attractive places and actively contribute to transforming, enhancing and maintaining our streets, parks, coastline waterways and countryside. 

The Great British Spring Clean is a special moment for local authorities to celebrate and harness the power of volunteer action alongside the hard work of staff from cleansing and environmental teams.