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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 10 miles of the UK's best beaches, and spends £1/2m a year keeping them clean.
We employ six full-time and 15 seasonal staff members to pick the beaches and we use three beach tractors, plus surf rakes and other tractor mounted kit to help keep our sand golden and litter-free.
We collect around 2000 tons of waste per year from the seafront - 45% is recyclable or organic material. The rest is processed for energy with a very small percentage sent to landfill.
All our stats are in an infographic here.
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
Hubbub
Did you know that BCP Council, Hubbub and McDonald’s are partnering on a ground-breaking litter campaign? Using drone technology and AI to tackle litter this is a UK-first – find out more by reading our press release. Have a read of some interesting campaign FAQs and find out more about Ellipsis Earth the drone operators and technological wizards who have declared a war on litter!
Nellie the Fish
New recycling warrior fish is back in Poole! Made entirely from scrap metal including warehouse clothing cages and vehicle parts. The specially tailored design is mobile, enabling it to move later to Bournemouth spreading the Reuse, Refill and Reduce message. The new structure is being adopted as part of the Leave Only Footprints campaign to engage with residents, visitors, businesses and the wider community to help protect the local environment and reduce waste, litter and pollution. Read the full release here.
Read more about the warrior fish – here to take your recyclable litter!
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