Today the Mail is proud to announce our national campaign to get Britain picking up plastic litter is back — and bigger and better than ever
The plastic pick-up — in partnership with charity Keep Britain Tidy, and endorsed by a host of naturalists including David Attenborough, the Prime Minister and even the UN — was a phenomenal success last year and a credit to our wonderful army of dedicated readers who made a real difference
More than 20,000 people filled 17,000 wheelie bins with rubbish and picked up two million plastic bottles for recycling over one weekend
But there’s more to be done.The scourge of plastic is still infesting our streets
Taxpayers spend £800 million every year to clear up after thoughtless litter louts and fly-tippers, and the system is struggling to cope
That’s why this year we are supporting The Great British Spring Clean — which will take place between March 22 and April 23 — and are asking you to join with friends, family, colleagues, schools and faith groups to tackle the blight and turn the tide on plastic
Last year, 370,000 people took part in the Spring Clean.We hope to have half a million people picking up plastic this year
You can make such a difference by sparing just a few hours to pick up plastic in your area
Schools can also do their part and there’s even fantastic prizes to be won (see box below) — turn to pages 8 and 9 to see how two of last year’s winners used theirs
To sign up, just log on to gbspringclean.org.This year, the Great British Spring Clean is bigger and better than ever
It is launching today, and the pick-up itself is running for an entire month — from March 22 to April 23
We have got more than 300 local authorities on board supplying equipment and arranging for safe disposal of the collected rubbish and recyclable plastic and metal
Communities will come together in small groups or as individuals on any day during that month to pick up rubbish, with the specific mission to remove the plastic that so often ends up in the ocean
How do I sign up?  Visit gbspringclean.org where you will find all of the information you need and all the details to join in — you just need to provide your name, address and an email
Anyone can get involved (though children should be joined by a responsible adult)
There are three ways you can help:  1.You can pledge to contribute to the campaign as an individual by picking up as much litter as you like, whenever you like, at any point during the month-long campaign
2.You can organise a clean-up with friends, neighbours or a community group.Why not organise a litter pick with your workplace, place of worship or book club? It couldn’t be easier
3.You can join an organised clean-up group in your area.In the coming weeks, groups will be set up and their details added to an interactive online map
Click on the map to find out details and let the organiser know you’ll be joining
If there’s no group in your area, sign up anyway to pledge your support and we’ll keep you informed about the campaign in the coming weeks
New clean-ups will be appearing on the site every day so you can always go back and see if one has been set up near you at any time
First, sign up at gbspringclean.org.You just need to be able to pick up litter during the month — even one piece per day makes a difference
If you’re keen to organise a group of friends, family or work colleagues, just select the private group option when registering at gbspringclean
org.This means you will have access to a comprehensive guide with step-by-step information on how to organise your pick-up, where to do it and advice on running a successful pick-up and ensuring everyone stays safe
We are also urging hosts to return to the website after each event to let us know how much litter was collected and how many volunteers were involved
Because your event is private, only people you invite will be able to join.You can organise as many clean-ups as you want between March 22 and April 23 at any number of locations, dates and times
How do I join an existing clean-up?  Go to gbspringclean.org and search our interactive map to find a public clean-up in your area
Once you register to ‘join the clean-up’ an email will be sent to the event organiser containing your details
They will then liaise with you directly about the clean-up, including timings and any equipment needed
What happens when I register?  When you sign up to the Great British Spring Clean you can keep track of everything on your own online ‘dashboard’
This is your own space where you can add clean-ups, find useful guides and see what to do with your rubbish
This is also where you can record the results of your clean-up.If you need equipment — litter-pickers, high-vis vests, bags, gloves — your local authority may be able to help you as many will let you borrow the equipment
Just say: ‘I am planning to take part in a community litter-pick, can I ask about borrowing some litter-pickers please?’  Or you will find all the equipment for sale at Wilko stores across the UK and wilko
com from February 4.Visit gbspringclean.org for more information.What can't I pick up?  Never pick up needles — let the event organiser know about them and they will contact the council to remove them
Also leave broken glass and large fly-tipped items — let your local council know instead
Do not attempt a pick-up near busy roads.Aim to recruit friends, family or colleagues to join you — this is a great way to spend time together and enjoy some fresh air
Follow Keep Britain Tidy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or subscribe on YouTube to keep track of what others are doing and share posts from your own account, using the hashtag #GBSpringClean to inspire others to take part
What happens to the litter?  We are asking all volunteers to separate the litter they find into three bags for recycling:  What happens then will vary from local authority to local authority
The website will be updated regularly as local authorities let us know how they want to deal with the rubbish you collect
Even if you live many miles from the nearest beach, you can be confident your efforts will be helping protect the oceans from the scourge of plastic rubbish
What happens afterwards?  Count up and photograph the bags you collect.You can post these pictures with the #GBSpringClean hashtag
Group organisers should go back to gbspringclean.org to log the numbers of bags and volunteers and upload photos
