Bournemouth & Poole beach-goers asked to leave only footprints
9th August 2018
As Bournemouth and Poole continues to welcome hundreds of thousands of people to their award-winning beaches in the current heatwave, the two resorts have launched a campaign that aims to encourage residents, visitors and workers to be more environmentally aware, particularly in relation to waste disposal on the seafront.
Under the banner, Leave Only Footprints, beach-goers are invited to enjoy the UK’s best beaches* and to help keep them fabulous by clearing up at the end of the day, putting rubbish in the bins provided.
Among a host of other improvements and initiatives, more than 200 new bins have been added along the 10 miles of seafront, increasing capacity by 70% and offering a recycling option at every location.
The new bins are colour coded with clear messaging to help people identify the correct place to dispose of their waste – blue for recycling and black for general waste.
Councillor Pat Oakley, Portfolio Holder responsible for Tourism in Bournemouth, said: “We’re thrilled that so many people are choosing to enjoy the hot weather here in Bournemouth and Poole. Our beaches are second to none and there’s never been a better case for British staycations along the South Coast. Our high standards of cleanliness set us apart as a world-class destination and cooperation from the public in leaving only footprints on our beaches helps us to remain the UK’s best seaside resort†.”
As well as the focus on improving waste disposal along the seafront ahead of the holiday season, there are other elements to the Leave Only Footprints campaign. Discounts are available on reusable cups in prom-side cafés and kiosks and the Refill Dorset scheme is in operation along the seafront.
The Leave Only Footprints branding, designed by Westbourne-based Cuco Creative, is also starting to be adopted across other council departments and by local businesses and organisations with a green agenda, especially those with links to the local tourism economy and environment, including the Daily Echo.
Councillor John Challinor, Portfolio Holder responsible for Tourism in Poole, said: “Leave Only Footprints is a simple, local campaign but it has an important and wide-reaching message. Steps are being taken in both Bournemouth and Poole towards becoming greener resorts – with our award-winning reputation and high concentration of Keep Britain Tidy accolades, we want to be at the forefront of sustainable and eco-friendly tourism.”
To help launch the campaign, staff at LV= teamed up with seasoned experts, the Dorset Devils, to take part in an early morning litter pick. Aside from doing their bit towards collective clean-up efforts, the LV= volunteer group showed how easy it is for corporate businesses to get involved with Leave Only Footprints and show their support and commitment for maintaining the area’s picturesque surroundings.
Andrew Brown, Seafront Operations Manager for Bournemouth and Poole, said: “There’s still a lot of work to do but Leave Only Footprints is a kind of consistent, golden thread that runs through all of our endeavours. It’s testament to the sense of local pride that other local businesses and organisations are on board with the campaign.”
Anyone wanting to set up a Leave Only Footprints litter pick along Bournemouth and Poole seafront can find the application form at bournemouth.co.uk/leaveonlyfootprints.
