This March, employees from five quarry companies across the Mendips made a tangible impact on their local environment during the Mendip Quarry Producers (MQP) annual litter pick.

Running from 16^th – 20th March 2026 as part of Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean, over 30 volunteers worked in coordinated shifts to remove more than 20,000 pieces of litter from over 25 miles of local roads.

Teams from Tarmac, Morris & Perry, Holcim, Heidelberg, and John Wainwright & Co Ltd tackled litter along roadside verges and hedgerows. Collected items ranged from everyday waste like bottles, cans, and crisp packets to larger discarded objects.

The effort was carefully managed with professional traffic control in place, ensuring volunteers stayed safe while working along busy roads. Many passers-by drivers, lorry drivers, and cyclists expressed their appreciation, beeping horns and giving thumbs-up gestures, highlighting the value of the initiative to the local community.

To engage the public, signs are placed along each cleaned verge to show that the area has been litter picked. They stay in place for a month, serving as a visible reminder of the care local volunteers take in looking after their environment.

Matt Bishop, Safety, Health and Environment Manager at John Wainwright & Co Ltd, who coordinated the initiative, said: “This year’s litter pick has made a real, visible difference around the quarries and across the wider Mendip area. It’s incredibly positive to see teams from across the industry coming together to take pride in the environment we work in. Looking ahead, we’re exploring ways to reduce waste on our roads and build on the success of this initiative.”

As a gesture of thanks, volunteers were treated to lunch at Wainwright’s Moons Hill Head Office near Stoke St Michael, with a bottle of prosecco presented to each team member at the end of their shift.

Why It Matters

Litter remains a significant issue across the UK:

• An estimated 67 million pieces are dropped on roads each year.
• The cost to clear this litter is around £1 billion annually.

Initiatives like the MQP litter pick show how local businesses and volunteers can make a real, lasting difference in their communities.

The Great British Spring Clean continues to inspire nationwide action. Since its launch, it has mobilised hundreds of thousands of volunteers and resulted in the collection of millions of bags of litter across the UK.

Efforts like this in the Mendips are a vital part of a wider movement to protect and enhance local environments.