KFC Beckton Gateway Retail Park has been crowned KFC litter picking champion, collecting the most rubbish as part of this year’s Great British Spring Clean, the UK’s largest annual litter picking campaign.
On Thursday 19 March, six KFC team members in Beckton were joined by James Asser, Labour MP for West Ham and Beckton, collecting 14 bags of litter on the day.
Their efforts saw them come in joint first place with KFC Ballymena and pip KFC restaurant teams in Cardiff and Greater Glasgow to the post, as part of a coordinated UK-wide challenge.
Alongside the usual bottles, cans and coffee cups, KFC team members in Beckton uncovered some far stranger finds, including a milk frother! Unexpected items like this remind us that litter comes in all shapes and sizes, and why initiatives such as the Great British Spring Clean are so important when it comes to keeping our communities clean and tidy.
2026 marks the sixth year of KFC’s partnership with Keep Britain Tidy and involvement in the Great British Spring Clean. This partnership is part of KFC’s commitment to tackling litter and acting as a good neighbour in the communities it serves, which has seen the business roll out a series of measures in Beckton, including:
Daily litter picks. KFC’s 1,000 restaurant teams across the UK&I undertake daily litter picks to clean up the streets around their restaurants.
Training initiatives for KFC’s 30,000 team members to increase their knowledge of the environmental impact of litter.
Investment in more and larger bins in and around restaurants, alongside improved in-restaurant recycling facilities, to make it easier for customers to dispose of waste appropriately.
Anti-littering marketing messages, like #ItsLitterPickin’Good, used across KFC restaurants including window and drive thru signage, in-restaurant audio and menu board displays to encourage responsible behaviour.
James Asser, Labour MP for West Ham and Beckton, said: “It was great to join the Team at KFC Beckton on their litter pick as part of the Great British Spring Clean. Keeping our community and especially our greenspaces clean makes them better places to live and to work and so it’s really positive to see local businesses get involved.”
Eraz Patwari, Assistant Restaurant General Manager at KFC Beckton, said: “It was great to see our restaurant team get stuck in today. We’re all proud to call Beckton home and it’s important to us that we do our bit to keep it looking its best. Everyone rolled their sleeves up, got involved and showed what a difference can be made in just a couple of hours.”
Monica Silic, Chief Marketing Officer, KFC UK & Ireland, said: “No one likes to see litter in their local area and at KFC, we’re no different. With restaurants at the heart of communities across the UK and Ireland, we know we have a responsibility to help tackle it. Our role on British high streets goes beyond serving up our famous fried chicken. It’s about being a good neighbour, showing up and helping to keep the areas around us clean.
Tackling litter isn’t a one-day event for us, it’s a year-round commitment. From the daily litter picks our teams carry out around our restaurants to backing local litter picking groups, we’re focused on playing our part. Supporting the Great British Spring Clean is another way we roll up our sleeves alongside local communities and help keep our streets rubbish-free.”
