Keep Wales Tidy Impact Report

A message from Owen

This report is a testament to the power of collective action, and a reminder of the scale of the challenge still ahead.

Between April 2024 and March 2025, our team, volunteers, supporters and partners achieved extraordinary things. From record-breaking clean-ups to hundreds of new green spaces, this year showed what’s possible when communities work together to take positive action.

Through the Local Places for Nature programme, 652 new community gardens were established – from food-growing plots to pollinator-friendly havens – bringing nature into the heart of our towns and creating more liveable, resilient places.

We also marked a major milestone in environmental education. As Eco-Schools celebrated its 30th anniversary, Wales became the first country in the world to meet UNESCO’s Green Education Partnership target, with 50% of our schools now holding environmental accreditation.

Wales’ parks also continue to lead the world in Community Green Flag Awards and this year’s Spring Clean Cymru campaign saw 6,603 volunteers take part in 297 events.

None of this would be possible without the support of our funders. We are enormously grateful to Welsh Government, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Swire Trust, and the many local authorities backing our work through the Shared Prosperity Fund. Your support is making a real and lasting difference, especially in communities that need it most. Diolch i chi.

And yet, the context we’re operating in is becoming increasingly challenging.

Despite huge volunteer efforts, litter continues to blight our streets, parks, rivers and beaches. The latest LEAMS survey found that over 35% of urban areas in Wales had unacceptable levels of litter, and we’ve seen a 286% increase in the number of streets graded D for cleanliness – the worst possible rating.

Our streets tell a story. And right now, it is one of a system under pressure, where short-term fixes have replaced long-term solutions, and the root causes of litter remain unaddressed.

But we also have a clear opportunity to change that.

We welcome Welsh Government’s ambition on the forthcoming Deposit Return Scheme, which includes glass and places greater emphasis on reuse – a vital step towards reducing litter, changing behaviour and moving towards a circular economy. Together with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), these reforms offer a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reduce waste and create lasting change. But while the policy ingredients are in place, we still lack a joined-up national plan. We need a clear framework that brings these tools together — aligning national ambition with local delivery, supporting councils, empowering communities, driving positive behaviour change, and ensuring responsibility is shared fairly. Individuals, businesses, local authorities and charities all have a role to play in making that happen.

That’s why we believe the time is right for a national coalition: a long-term, cross-sectoral alliance of partners working strategically to shape a shared plan, unlock new funding and put prevention at the heart of how we tackle litter. We cannot continue to rely on overburdened councils and volunteers to pick up the pieces – systemic problems demand systemic solutions, and I’m confident that, by working together, we can turn the tide, restore pride in our public spaces, and create a cleaner, greener Wales for generations to come.

If you or your organisation want to be part of that journey, we’d love to hear from you.

Diolch yn fawr,

Owen Derbyshire CEO, Keep Wales Tidy