A Trafford councillor took to the streets today for a 10-mile litter-pick to kick off the Great British Spring Clean.
Environmental improvement manager Mark Dale, 57, set off at 10:30am this morning from Stretford Public Hall.
His route took him across Stretford, Flixton, and Gorse Hill and ended 28,000 steps and ten bags of rubbish later at Trafford Town Hall.
Dale said: “A lady said to me earlier that she felt inspired by what I do, so that’s a really good message for me.
“If this is what I need to do to get people to join in then I’ll do more and more of it.”
This not Dale’s first experience with marathon litter-picking, having taken part in a 26-mile event around the same area in 2021.
However, with the upcoming introduction of the green bin tax on 1 June 2025, some residents are concerned it may not be enough.
Stretford local Ian Threlfall said on Facebook: “Discouraging recycling but encouraging fly tipping… how ridiculous.”
As environmental improvement manager, Dale’s job is to enforce fly-tipping and littering legislation, including imposing fixed-penalties of up to £400.
He admitted he doesn’t know what effect the bin tax will have, but believes the best way to prevent future littering is to get rid of the rubbish that’s already there.
Dale said: “Rubbish attracts rubbish.
“The more litter heroes we get out there, the cleaner Trafford will be.”
The Great British Spring Clean is a community litter-picking initiative, taking place between 21 March and 6 April across the UK.
There will be litter picks organised across Manchester throughout this period, and over 3,000 free litter-pickers have been given out to residents.
To get involved please see this page on the Trafford Council website for a free litter-picker.
Main image by Daniel Dougherty
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