56 bags of rubbish were removed from a section of the Tame Valley in Hyde thanks to the efforts of waste management company, SUEZ UK.
Employees from the company, which operates waste recycling sites across Greater Manchester, contacted the Friends of the Tame Valley to offer their time to help remove litter and fly-tipping from sections of the valley.
The litter-pick took place on Tuesday 29th June. 8 SUEZ staff, were joined by Cllr Peter Robinson and 6 other volunteers from the Friends of the Tame Valley to help clean-up around Dunkirk Lane, the Peak Forest Canal and inside Dunkirk Wood.
The volunteers collected 56 bin bags of rubbish in total, which roughly amounts to around 680kgs in weight. The most unusual item found was a laptop!
Secretary of the Friends of the Tame Valley, Andrew Gwynne MP, said: “The Friends Group is going from strength to strength, and since February a massive amount of litter and fly-tipping has been removed. We are so grateful to SUEZ UK for offering to help around Dunkirk Wood and the Canal. They didn’t just provide the bodies, but also all the equipment and removed the waste too. It was a fantastic effort by all, and the Friends Group are so grateful for the support.”
Anna Bell, SUEZ Contract Director in Greater Manchester, said “Passion for the environment is a core value for us and we are proud to support efforts to keep our communities clean and tidy.”
The Friends Group is now switching its focus to restoring some of the infrastructure in the valley and has been applying to grant-funding bodies to restore footpaths, bridleways, fencing and signage across the site.
To join the Friends of the Tame Valley, and volunteer in future activity, please contact ajgwynne@sky.com