Howden make it their business to have a Big Spring Clean

It’s full steam ahead for Renfrewshire’s Big Spring Clean as global engineering company Howden helped launched the month-long event with a community clean up.

The 20-strong team of employees tackled an area near Glasgow Airport which had been strewn with litter, often thrown from cars or other vehicles.

Working as a team, the volunteers gathered bags of rubbish throughout the afternoon and left the area looking spotless.

Emma Muller, Managing Director – Howden Compressors, said: “Howden have been an important part of the landscape in Renfrew since 1982 when our facility at Old Govan Road was opened. We are always looking for opportunities to give something back to the community, so when we found out about the Big Spring Clean we were really excited to take part!

“We design and manufacture equipment which is critical to protecting the planet by reducing power plant emissions, treating waste water and capturing landfill gas globally. Looking after the environment is an important part of our business and this is a great opportunity to do so local to our Head Office.”

The Big Spring Clean has the support of businesses across Renfrewshire as they look to take responsibility for their local area, and forms part of the wider Team Up to Clean Up campaign which aims to make Renfrewshire a brighter, cleaner, more attractive place to live, work and visit.

More than 40 community clean ups have been arranged already throughout April, as well as dozens of schools set to take part too as part of the campaign’s aim to educate the next generation on the issue of littering.

Councillor Natalie Don, Depute Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board, said: “It’s fantastic to see businesses large and small taking part in the Big Spring Clean and showing their support for our Team Up to Clean Up campaign.

“The Howden Group did a brilliant job in clearing up an area which had been strewn with litter and I thank them for their hard work and dedication.

“More and more, we are seeing businesses, groups and volunteers taking it upon themselves to make a difference to our environment and taking responsibility for their local area.

“This is what the campaign is all about and we hope that those who are causing the litter see the hard work taking place to clean it up and think twice before dropping anything in future.”

The Team Up to Clean Up campaign has benefitted from a £2.5million investment in Renfrewshire’s local environment which has seen an increased programme of road sweeping, drain clearing, litter picking and an enhanced Rapid Response Team.

The investment has also facilitated local communities to undertake litter picks by providing them with gloves, litter pickers, bags and hoops, as well as the support of the council’s Wardens Service and StreetScene team who remove the collected rubbish at the end.

All interested volunteers are invited to any of the arranged litter picks and are free to turn up on the day to take part, as well as being able to arrange their own by contacting the council directly.

For more information on the Big Spring Clean, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/bigspringclean or call 0300 300 1375.