New City campaign targets ‘careful littering’ hot spots
A new pilot scheme using mirrored posters to tackle ‘careful littering’ has launched today in the City of London.
The two-month trial targets sites where people place rubbish like coffee cups, newspapers and drinks bottles on ledges rather than taking it away or placing it in a bin.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government funded the trial campaign – a partnership between the City of London Corporation and Keep Britain Tidy (KBT) – which is using mirrored posters in ‘careful littering’ hotspots at Moorgate, Royal Exchange, and Cheapside to highlight the problem.
The reflective mirrors have bold anti-littering messages designed to encourage people to change behaviour and throw their litter in a bin or take it away.
Jeremy Simons, Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Environmental Services Committee, said:
“Many people think they are not littering by carefully placing litter on benches, ledges and stairs - and leaving it behind. But careful littering has a real impact on the capital’s street environment.
“The Square Mile has a huge footfall – with over half a million daily commuters coming in and out of the City every day. Our residents, workers and visitors rightly expect the City to be a clean and pleasant place to live, work and visit.
“We hope this new approach will be the intervention that helps change people’s behaviours and reduces littering in the Square Mile.”
Allison-Ogden Newton, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said:
“Keep Britain Tidy has a long history of developing, testing and scaling anti-littering campaign solutions.
“We are delighted to be working with the City of London Corporation to test this latest innovation specifically tackling what we term ‘careful littering’, which is prevalent in urban commuter locations.
“If successful, this intervention will join our armoury of proven effective anti-littering solutions available for local authorities to purchase and scale in problem areas.”
The Litter Innovation Fund managed by WRAP, awarded the project a grant of £9,918 which has been 10% match funded by the charity in accordance with the terms and conditions of the grant.
If the trial is successful it may be considered for a wider campaign across the Square Mile late in 2019.
ENDS
Notes to editors
About the City of London Corporation:
The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
About the Keep Britain Tidy:
Keep Britain Tidy (KBT) is a leading environmental charity that cares for the environment on your doorstep by eliminate littering, reduce waste and improve public space. KBT run programmes including Eco-Schools, the Green Flag Award for parks and green spaces and the Blue Flag/Seaside Awards for beaches. To find out more about Keep Britain Tidy, visit www.keepbritaintidy.org.
Media enquiries for the City of London Corporation:
Laura Simpson, Media Officer, City of London Corporation
T: 020 7332 3654
M: 07738862229
E: Laura.Simpson@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Media enquiries for Keep Britain Tidy:
Helen Bingham, Marketing and Communications Manager, Keep Britain Tidy
T: 01942 612617
M: 07768 880016