As the 10th annual Great British Spring Clean kicks off today, Mirror readers are urged to pick up litter in order to protect our precious wildlife from injuries and death
Ring-pulls, broken plastic bottles and old drink cans are killing millions of some of Britain’s most endangered animals. Our single-use throwaway culture has not only created a pollution crisis blighting beaches, rivers, beauty spots and pavements, it is also a health hazard to wildlife.
Small mammals including hedgehogs, shrews and field mice can become entangled in plastic waste, trapped in containers, or ingest harmful materials, leading to injury, starvation, or death. Disposable vapes are causing havoc. Drink cans tossed out of car windows alongside roadsides are another menace, encouraging animals to seek out the sweet residue before getting trapped and hit by cars.
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But there is something we can all do to help protect our wildlife by getting involved in the 10th annual Keep Britain Tidy Spring Clean. So far hundreds of thousands of people have pledged to pick up litter for Keep Britain Tidy’s 10th annual Great British Spring Clean, but it is not too late to take part with action planned all over the country between now and April 6.
Location, Location, Location presenter Kirstie Allsopp, 53, gave the campaign her backing and said: “Litter is a major issue and has a huge impact on our communities.
“My work takes me all over the country and wherever I go I see litter polluting our environment, whether I’m in a city, a town or in the depths of the countryside, it’s everywhere.
“It makes me so angry because it is completely unnecessary and we can all do our bit by putting our rubbish in a bin or taking it home with us. It’s that simple.
“I have litter-picked with my children since they were small and I would encourage everyone to do the same and to get involved in the Great British Spring Clean. It’s one simple thing we can all do to help our environment, show we love where we live and protect wildlife.”
Heather Johnson, who runs a hedgehog rescue centre in Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, is only too familiar with the damage that litter causes.
She said: “I’ve had to remove drink can ring pulls and bits of broken plastic bottles out of some of the hedgehogs who have come through our doors. Old carrier bags are a particular menace as they get wrapped around their tiny little legs and cut off their circulation… Some also get trapped in drinks cans enticed by the sweet smell and then sadly hit my car.”
Last year Heather’s Hedgehog Hostel treated 466 and released 359 – a 77% success rate. As well as litter injuries others come through the door requiring treatment for dog bites, strimmer injuries or after being hit by cars and getting caught in football nets. But alarmingly, Heather also revealed that many have ingested microplastics.
Hedgehogs are officially classed as vulnerable to extinction in the UK and were added to the red list of under-threat mammals in 2020. She said if the hostel did not exist, many hogs would not survive.
Food packaging also attracts creatures such as foxes, badgers, rabbits and hedgehogs, exposing them to traffic risks, National Highways says. It is also a threat to species such as shrews, voles, wood mice – a vital food source for birds of prey.
Biodegradable food litter can also be as dangerous to animals as other litter. If an apple core or fruit peel is thrown from a passing vehicle or discarded by the roadside, it can attract many kinds of wildlife – from mammals to birds – and put them in danger of passing vehicles.
The RSPCA received 2,199 reports of animals impacted by litter last year. Calls include a fox who became entangled in a discarded clothes drying rack and severely injured – another reminder of the dangers of discarded objects and litter to wildlife.
Last month a tangled deer had to be cut free by firefighters after discarded plastic netting became wrapped around his antlers and trapped him in a tree in Welwyn, Herts. Staff were also called to assist a duck on Walsall Canal who was struggling to eat after a plastic six-pack beer can holder got caught around his neck and beak.
The RSPCA is urging people to protect animals and stop these incidents happening in the first place by getting involved in Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean.
The RSPCA’s anti-litter campaign manager Carrie Stones said: “Spring is an ideal time to go on a litter-pick because it falls before the breeding season when young animals such as fox cubs are at risk of getting into trouble, while litter in hedges will be more visible to pickers before the vegetation really starts growing.”
CEO of Keep Britain Tidy, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, said: “Heartbreaking stories of animals in the wild and beloved pets being injured by litter have become an everyday occurrence. Taking part in the Great British Spring Clean and removing litter from our neighbourhoods and the habitat of local wildlife ensures safer spaces for everyone, our family pets and precious wildlife.
“Of those who responded to a survey about the Great British Spring Clean last year, almost 96% said they felt taking part reduces the impacts of litter on wildlife and the environment. “If you are an animal lover, joining the Great British Spring Clean is an absolute must.”
SIGN UP ONLINE AT KEEPBRITAINTIDY.ORG
