Not a day goes by currently, without more news about the global, harmful effects of plastics and other discarded materials on our environment.

Litter not only spoils how our beautiful Cumbrian landscapes look, it also creates toxins and pollutants that are harmful to the land and the wildlife and livestock that live here.

Carelessly chucked-away rubbish can clog and pollute our waterways, affect our soils and be incredibly harmful to creatures that unwittingly ingest it, or become tangled in our discarded debris.

And in a county renowned for some of most spectacular and much-loved landscapes in Britain, enjoyed by so many for their outstanding beauty, it looks jarringly horrible and ugly.

So what are we at Friends of the Lake District doing to help?

• RESEARCH: We’re undertaking vital research with Keep Britain Tidy to find out more about what makes people undertake this type of anti-social activity and what interventions we can put in place to try and change people’s behaviour.
• THE GREAT CUMBRIAN LITTER PICK: Every year we hold The Great Cumbrian Litter Pick where hundreds of amazing volunteers join forces to help clear up the county and to raise awareness of the issue and the problems littering causes.
• LOCAL GROUPS: We’ve developed an interactive map to provide details of all the fantastic, local groups who are regularly out picking litter from the goodness of their own hearts. You can join one of these groups or set up your own. If you want to be added to the map, just let us know.

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