The environmental charity Hubbub has launched a new programme of activities to address the growing problem of litter in the beautiful Forest of Dean.

To mark the occasion, 4X World Champion racer Katy Curd exchanged trash for treats from the new Trashconverter at the Forest Activities Festival recently. The trashconverter, a redesigned horse box, will act as an information hub for the duration of the campaign. It will be travelling to key spots around the region over the coming months, including; littered laybys, music festivals, village fairs, schools, parks and tourist hotspots to engage with local communities and to provide advice on how to reduce litter in the forest.

Last year, the Trashconverter van toured the Forest of Dean over a period of two weeks, visiting 29 different locations on a ‘van-detta’ against littering. Visitors and residents swapped an astounding 68 bags of litter for 2,400 treats like flowers, seeds and popcorns.

Katy, who offers mountain bike coaching in the Forest of Dean, said: “I’m really excited to be supporting Love Your Forest and the return of the Trashconverter. This is an innovative and fun way to engage with visitors including the mountain biking community. It saddens me to see the forest covered in litter – particularly when there is so much work going into providing good riding trails for free. Besides the impact on the environment, litter is also a hazard and dangerous for riders and others using the trails. Whether you’re a walker, sightseer or a mountain biker, it’s everyone’s responsibility to keep litter out of the forest.”

Each year 250 tonnes of rubbish are removed from the Forest of Dean area, costing the District Council alone £430k per year. Forest of Dean District Councillor Chris McFarling, Cabinet Member for the Environment, welcomes Katy’s championing of the Love your Forest campaign. “By motivating people to not drop litter in the first place, a remarkable cultural shift is being supported.”

The Love Your Forest campaign was launched in 2016 by environmental charity Hubbub and local soft drinks manufacturer Lucozade Ribena Suntory. Supported by the Forest of Dean District Council, the Forestry Commission, Wye Valley & Forest of Dean Tourism and Foresters’ Forest, it has successfully been raising awareness of the litter problem and encouraging residents and visitors to do their bit to tackle the issues.

Trewin Restorick, CEO of Hubbub, says: “We are thrilled with our new Trashconverter – we want to visit as many local events as possible this year to help spread the word so do get in touch if you’d like a visit.”

For more information, to get involved with the #LoveYourForest campaign, or if you are interested in a visit from the trashconverter, please email [email protected].

People wishing to volunteer for litter picks should contact: [email protected]