Leave Only Footprints

Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch are taking steps to become greener resorts. With an award-winning reputation and a world-class vision for the future, we want to be at the forefront of sustainable and eco-friendly tourism.

We have created the Leave Only Footprints campaign which has been set up along Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch’s breathtaking coastline…

Leave Only Footprints is more than just a name - it's a process of continuous improvement with an aim to encourage residents, visitors and workers to be more environmentally conscious, particularly in relation to waste disposal.

Each year, Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch welcomes 11.2m visitors to the UK's best beaches, and spends £1/2m a year keeping them clean.  We collect around 2000 tons of waste per year from the seafront and use three beach tractors, surf rakes and other tractor mounted kit, plus staff members who litter pick to help keep our sand golden and litter-free.

Litter that gets left behind can have a harmful effect on coastal wildlife, sadly these creatures have little way of defending themselves from its impacts. Therefore, by making sure we responsibly dispose of waste we can help to protect them.

As well as helping with clear and simple messages about how to dispose of your rubbish, there are lots of other elements to the Leave Only Footprints campaign. You can get discounts on reusable cups in the cafes and kiosks along the seafront, the Refill Dorset scheme is in operation and there are lots of activities to get involved in.

If you're a business owner or not-for-profit organisation interested in working with us on the campaign or using the Leave Only Footprints brand for your own activities, you can find out more at our campaigns portal.

Companies wanting to get involved and organise a 'litter pick' to help their local environment, can use our handy beach clean application form.

We also offer schools an exciting opportunity to get involved with the Leave Only Footprints message, our free interactive assemblies are a great way to get students talking about the effects of litter and how to correctly dispose of it. For more information or to request an assembly please email us at leaveonlyfootprints@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.

So, please enjoy our beaches and help keep them fabulous by clearing up at the end of the day, putting rubbish in the correct bins provided - blue for recycling and black for general waste.

To keep up to date with our campaign journey please follow us on our social media platforms. You can also share with us how you’ve been looking after our coastline with the hashtag #leaveonlyfootprints.