Campaign to tackle litter in Foyle welcomed by Derry MLA

A litter campaign led by McDonald’s in Northern Ireland - aimed at tackling litter in parks, on paths and along roadsides in towns across the province – has been welcomed by Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan.

The ‘30 Parks in 30 Days’ campaign saw McDonald’s employees undertake more than 30 local litter clean-ups in parks and nature areas throughout the 30 days of June.

Led by the seven local franchisees across McDonald’s estate of 34 restaurants in Northern Ireland, they were supported by a range of  local community groups, elected representatives and football clubs - including Oxford United Stars Football Club, Derry.

A litter pick on the Strand Road was attended by Mark H Durkan, who said: "This is a great campaign and one which I look forward to taking part in every year.

“It was heartening to see so many children involved in this year's litter pick. It's important to instil in our younger generation a responsibility to tackle the scourge of litter, protect local wildlife and to take pride in keeping public spaces clean. We all have a duty to fight litter within our communities."

Joe Doherty, from Oxford United Stars FC, welcomed the opportunity to partner with McDonald’s to tackle litter in Foyle. “Oxford United Stars were delighted to be a part of the McDonald’s community litter pick up. Our members really enjoyed themselves and showed a good understanding.

“It ended up as a challenge to see who could pick up the most litter! We now hope to see members involved, passing on the message during training and match days that everyone should be encouraged to be picking up litter when they see it.”

David Walker, Franchisee of the McDonald’s Strand Road restaurant commented: “Our annual ‘30 Parks in 30 Days’ campaign reinforces McDonald’s strong commitment to tackle litter right across the UK and Ireland.

“Like our customers and stakeholders, we are always deeply disappointed to see people acting irresponsibly when it comes to littering. We want to play a leading role in sparking a change in behaviour towards what can only be described as a scourge on our environment.

“Across the UK and Ireland, our employees walk over 5,000 miles every week picking up all waste – our packaging and that of other retailers – by the sides of roads, in parks and on paths. This is further enhanced through proactive partnerships with local community groups, such as Oxford United Stars, to keep our area clean and litter free by carrying out regular litter picks.”