Peterborough KFC workers tackle litter on city’s streets as part of new commitment

17 team members from KFC on Lincoln Road took part in the litter pick around the city. They were joined by the Peterborough Litter Wombles and Mayor of Peterborough Stephen Lane to tidy up Peterborough, collecting over 12 bags of litter on the day.

As a headline partner for Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean, KFC has announced a series of new litter commitments including the creation of a £40,000 fund to support and equip local litter picking groups in their efforts to tidy up local areas, which will be distributed by Keep Britain Tidy.

It also includes a commitment to partner with three local councils across the UK to trial new ways to tackle littering, such as testing localised anti-littering marketing messages and the creation of new concept rubbish bins.

KFC is also increasing calls on its fans to #Don’tBeATosser and help keep local areas tidy throughout Peterborough with a new marketing campaign that aims to raise awareness of the litter problem and encourage everyone to be more mindful about how they dispose of their litter. This will include the erection of 15ft banners at restaurants across the UK, brandishing the slogan #Don’tBeATosser.

KFC’s latest litter commitments build on the brand’s long-standing partnership with Keep Britain Tidy and its work to date to tackle littering, which has seen the brand:

- Introduce daily litter picks for KFC’s 900 restaurant teams, to tidy up the local areas around KFC restaurants

- Create a dedicated mailbox to answer issues and queries related to litter in local communities

- Offering direct access for communities to report litter problems around KFC restaurants and ensure they can be dealt with promptly

- Implement internal training for its 28,000 team members to increase their knowledge of the environmental impact of litter

- Invest in anti-littering marketing messages, such as #Don’tBeATosser, across its restaurants including window and drive thru signage, in-restaurant audio and menu board displays

Speaking about the litter pick, KFC Peterborough Restaurant Manager Tek Pathak said: “As the weather warms up and we all enjoy more time outside, the eyesore of litter in our local communities is more noticeable than ever. So what better time to launch our latest litter commitments than during the Great British Spring Clean. We’re pleased to have been joined by the Peterborough Litter Wombles and Mayor of Peterborough Stephen Lane to help us tidy up Peterborough.

“But tidying up our local area isn’t just a one-off event. We take our responsibility to tackling litter seriously and want to be part of the longer-term solution. That’s why we’re looking forward to funding local litter picking groups up with our new fund and working closely with Peterborough Council and the wider community to explore ways to keep Peterborough tidy.”

Mayor of Peterborough Stephen Lane, who attended the litter pick, said: “We are delighted that KFC is taking action to address the litter problem in Peterborough through the launch of these latest commitments. It is essential that all groups in the local community feel the tremendous sense of social responsibility and work together to address this issue and we are looking forward to seeing KFC taking this commitment seriously and working hard to make a positive impact locally.”

Allison Ogden-Newton, CEO of leading litter charity Keep Britain Tidy, added: “It’s great to see our Great British Spring Clean Headline Partner KFC taking real action on the litter problem, and that starts with their huge litter pick this week. Through our new grant scheme, funded by KFC and administered by Keep Britain Tidy, we’ll provide some of the much-needed kit to support local community litter-picking groups in their endeavours too. We are delighted that as part of their commitment to tackling litter, KFC are also running their own version of our famous #Don’tBeATosser campaign, encouraging us all to be mindful of how we dispose of used packaging.”