Firms join T&A's war against litter

Organisations across the district are lending their support to the Telegraph & Argus litter and recycling campaign - Bin It for Bradford - in an attempt to improve the city's appearance.

The campaign aims to target litter-droppers and to encourage the people of Bradford to take pride in their city.

And community clean-ups, recycling schemes and re-using materials are just some of the ways Bradford firms are showing their support. Teams from the Inland Revenue, Loop Customer Management, Gordons solicitors and the T&A were among organisations that took part in a cleaning blitz of the district's grot-spots, organised by the Bradford Chamber of Commerce.

Shelley Marchant, communications executive at Loop Customer Management in Thornbury, said: "We wanted to clean up the area around Thornbury roundabout as a way of giving something back to the local community."

Six members of staff hit the area armed with litter-pickers and bin-liners.

Ms Marchant said: "It was surprising just how much litter there was in that area with fast-food packaging and cinema tickets."

She said Loop was fully supporting the T&A's litter campaign and was already planning a second grot-spot blitz in Bradford.

"If we can pull together as a community, we can really make Bradford a place to be proud of. There is so much potential," she said.

Litter-pickers from Gordons solicitors also rolled up their sleeves to clean the streets around their Piccadilly offices.

A spokesman said: "Litter creates a bad first impression of Bradford and there is absolutely no excuse. Dropping litter is lazy, ignorant and anti-social - which is why we are getting behind the T&A's campaign to send out a positive message to those who drop litter."

Yorkshire Building Society provided customers with cleaning equipment to use around their home and put a skip outside its city centre branch in Bank Street.

Spokesman Tanya Mills praised the T&A's litter campaign.

"It is an excellent idea and we hope it raises awareness to make Bradford a better place to live and work in," she said.

Yorkshire Building Society costs and contract manager Mary Blackwell said: "It is about getting people to do a little bit more and think about what they do with the waste they produce."

A spokesman for Bradford-based supermarket Morrisons said: "We welcome any initiative that will help improve the appearance of our towns and cities."

Bradford Vision chief executive Sharmila Gandhi said it was important to keep Bradford tidy to help improve the city's image.

She said: "We need to work with all communities and it is vital that everyone, young and old, and in every part of the district gets involved with the T&A's litter campaign."

And campaigners Keep Britain Tidy applauded the T&A's approach.

A spokesman for the group said: "Too much money is spent on picking up after mindless litter louts.

"It's not just the Council's responsibility to deal with the tide of litter in Bradford. Local people need to do the right thing and use a bin. It's not rocket science."