Over 90% of places surveyed across England blighted by litter, says Keep Britain Tidy
Environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy released a report on 29 January that appears to expose the alarming scale of England’s litter problem – or “crisis”, indeed – and its disproportionate impact on the nation’s most deprived communities. The report, drawing on a decade of on-the-ground research combined with public opinion data, unveils growing concern over the worsening impact of litter on public health, the environment and the economy.
Key findings include:
- Litter is everywhere: More than 90% of the 1,140 miles of urban and rural sites surveyed by Keep Britain Tidy over the past decade were found to contain litter, with the latest survey showing just nine in every 100 locations in England to be litter-free.
- Litter anxiety is high: Over three quarters (77%) of people believe the country’s litter problem has got worse in recent years, with seven in ten now noticing litter in their local area daily.
- Deprived communities are disproportionately impacted: Researchers found almost three times as much litter in the most deprived areas compared with the least deprived, while litter-free spaces were seven times less likely to be found in the most deprived communities.
Along with damaging the environment, this report shows litter also negatively impacts our mental health, sense of safety and economic prosperity. When shown an image of a heavily littered street, two thirds of survey respondents (66%) said that they wouldn’t feel safe walking there at night, 86% said they would feel embarrassed to live there and almost one in seven (67%) felt that living in such an area would negatively affect their mental health. Furthermore, almost nine in ten (87%) said they would be discouraged from buying or renting in such a littered area and more than three quarters (78%) believed the high levels of litter would deter business investment.
The report revealed overwhelming public support for prevention measures to tackle the problem, including anti-littering campaigns. A lack of pride in maintaining local community spaces was seen as a contributing factor to an increasing litter problem by six in ten people (62%), while more than half (52%) believe that littering has become normal behaviour.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive at Keep Britain Tidy said: “Our report is a wake-up call. It shows that litter is more than an eyesore – it prevents investment, creates inequality, damages the environment and makes people feel depressed and unsafe. It’s unacceptable that the most deprived communities are bearing the brunt of the country’s litter problem. We believe that everyone, wherever they live, should be able to take pride in their environment - but we cannot achieve this alone.”
“If we are to make significant strides towards creating litter-free spaces for everyone, we need to set a new course and take coordinated action. Our research shows strong support for preventative measures to tackle this issue, demonstrating the public desire to ‘turn off the tap’ of litter, rather than ‘mop up the problem’.
“However, this requires a plan and cooperation at every level. We need a national strategy with robust targets and monitoring, clear focus and adequate resourcing. We’re calling on the government, industry and individuals to work together with us to create a future where litter-free spaces are the norm, rather than the exception.”
With on-the-go consumption firmly embedded in 21st century society, discarded packaging from drinks, snacks and fast food were second only to smoking-related litter in prevalence in the latest survey data. Sweets and chocolate wrappers were found in more than half (52%) of surveyed sites, followed by drinks bottles and cans, which were present in almost a third of all locations (31%). Fast food-related litter was present in 22% of areas, and crisps and snack packets in 16%.
However, when it comes to public perceptions, drinks-related litter is cited by more than nine in ten survey respondents (92%) as the most problematic type of litter. The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is welcomed by Keep Britain Tidy to specifically address this issue, which has been shown to disproportionally impact the most disadvantaged in society. Drinks-related litter was found to be almost three times as prevalent in the most deprived areas compared with the least deprived locations.
Allison added “Keep Britain Tidy supports the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) as a significant step towards tackling drinks-related litter, which is especially problematic in the most deprived communities. With government estimates suggesting the DRS could cut littered drinks containers by 85%, this initiative has the potential to deliver profound benefits where they are most needed.”
