A pioneering scheme led by independent environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy has demonstrated how sustained behaviour change activity can improve both the physical environment and people’s perceptions of their local area – delivering cleaner streets, stronger community pride and renewed economic confidence without putting additional pressure on council budgets.
The 12-month “Love Where You Live Heckmondwike” programme, funded through the Litter Pact and delivered in collaboration with KFC, Mars Wrigley, McDonald’s and Nestlé, achieved a 16 per cent reduction in food and drink-related litter – providing robust, real-world evidence of what works at community level.
In 2024, Keep Britain Tidy embarked on a project with the aim of pulling together all the research, insights, interventions and approaches the charity had delivered in the previous decade and see if it could make a measurable difference to the levels of litter on the ground and, importantly, to people’s reported behaviour and perceptions of the place they called home.
Key results include:
- 16 per cent reduction in food and drink packaging litter overall
- 20 per cent reduction in confectionery litter
- 52 per cent reduction in littering around “Bin it for Good” installations - where bins are converted into charity tins*
- A 22-percentage-point increase in public satisfaction with cleanliness (rising from 14 per cent to 36 per cent).
The initiative highlights the critical role that shaping consumer behaviour can play in addressing environmental challenges, beyond packaging design and recycling infrastructure.
Through co-investment in research, campaign development and local activation, partners supported a coordinated multi-channel programme that combined:
- Evidence-led messaging tailored to specific litter behaviours like “careful littering” and dog fouling
- Strategic placement of litter interventions in high-impact locations
- Community engagement and localised creative
- Collaboration with businesses, schools and the local community.
The campaign achieved strong public engagement, with 70 per cent of residents recalling activity. Among those with highest exposure:
- 83 per cent said they would pick up litter near their home
- 68 per cent were more likely to take personal responsibility for keeping the area clean
- 63 per cent were more likely to use bins.
Importantly, the findings reinforce a clear link between perception and behaviour, demonstrating that individuals who viewed their area as clean were significantly more likely to act responsibly.
The programme saw a significant reduction in those who perceived fast food litter to be a problem between the beginning and end of the project, with the number of people saying it was a problem falling from 86 per cent to 42 per cent.
The pilot also underscored the commercial relevance of tackling litter, with 16 per cent of businesses in the area saying customers would spend more in cleaner areas and 30 per cent believing that improved cleanliness would attract new businesses.
The findings underline the role of environmental quality in supporting thriving high streets and inward investment.
“Keep Britain Tidy has decades of understanding of – and unparalleled experience in - changing littering behaviours,” said Allison Ogden CEO of Keep Britain Tidy.
“This pilot shows that working in partnership with funders, businesses on the ground, local authorities and leaders from within the community in a sustained, joined up way delivers far greater results than solo or siloed efforts. We welcome food and drink brands showing this kind of leadership.”
Kim Leadbeater, MP and chair of the Tidy Britain All Party Parliamentary Group added that, “I’m deeply invested in the town of Heckmondwike, it’s where I was born, where I grew up.
“Being part of a project that not only reduced litter in my hometown but improved how residents feel about their neighbourhood makes me so proud”.
Dr Emma Keller, Head of Sustainability at Nestlé UK and Ireland, said: “Nestlé is proud to be joining other industry leaders in the Litter Pact. Every year, we see employees from up and down the country getting involved in the annual Great British Spring Clean, an important initiative for local communities. We are excited to build on this through the Litter Pact."
As part of the project’s legacy, Keep Britain Tidy is launching a full report and place-based litter toolkit for councils on Tuesday 7 July.