Bury litter pickers collected 10,000 rubbish bags last year

Volunteer groups in Bury and nearby areas recorded collecting 10,000 rubbish bags last year and are calling on businesses to take more responsibility for their premises through a 'Business Adopt Your Street' campaign.

Volunteer litter-picking groups in Bury and neighbouring towns reported collecting 10,000 recorded rubbish bags over the past year. The total was compiled by groups including Keep Bury Clean, Radcliffe Litter Pickers, Litter Picking Ramsbottom, Clean Team Prestwich and Tottington Litter Pickers, alongside several subgroups and individual volunteers. Jane Edyvean, chair of Keep Bury Clean, described the figure as bittersweet and said the true total may be higher because not all bags are logged. She began picking litter in 2016, set up a local group in 2018, and cited concern for wildlife as a key motivation for the work. Key details: - The groups reported a combined total of 10,000 recorded rubbish bags collected over the last year. - Participating groups named in the report include Keep Bury Clean, Radcliffe Litter Pickers, Litter Picking Ramsbottom, Clean Team Prestwich and Tottington Litter Pickers, with subgroups such as FGRS, Whitefield Wombles, BELPers and Walmersley Wombles. - The chair of Keep Bury Clean said the figure is bittersweet and that some collections are not recorded, so the real number could be higher. - Some volunteers are reported to fill five or six bags a day, and Edyvean picks up litter daily during walks with her dog. - Keep Bury Clean is promoting a "Business Adopt Your Street" (BAYS) campaign that would provide signing businesses with kits and some volunteer help to tidy premises. - Group picks are scheduled across Bury, Radcliffe and Ramsbottom in January, and the organisations have published contact details on their website and social pages. Summary: The recorded total underscores sustained volunteer activity to clear litter and protect local green spaces and wildlife. Organisers are using the figure to promote the BAYS campaign and have arranged community clearing events in January; further developments about business participation are undetermined at this time.