Litter scheme that donates to charity reduces rubbish on the streets

A new initiative by Keep Britain Tidy has reduced street litter by almost a third according to the organisation.

The Bin it for Good campaign encourages people raise money for local charities by always placing rubbish in the bin. The amount of litter put in bins is measured and the more that is deposited, the more money is donated to charity.

The pilot scheme was rolled out across five locations in England. The average reduction was 30% across the five sites. However, in Prudhoe in Northumberland, the scheme was particularly successful with a 52% reduction in litter.

The initiative aims to change attitudes to littering as a long term solution to the problem, as well as reducing the amount of litter on the ground in the short term. A survey carried out for Keep Britain Tidy reported that 71% of people said Bin it for Good made them want to put their litter in the bin and 50% said that there was less litter on the ground as a result of the initiative.

Keep Britain Tidy Chief Executive Allison Ogden-Newton said: “Bin it for Good is a win-win for communities. It cuts the amount of litter on the ground at the same time as supporting local charities.”

The programme is now being trialled in Nottingham, Haringey, Sutton and Kettering. As part of the scheme, bins will be given a ‘charity bin’ facelift and charities will receive donations of up to £500, depending on how much more rubbish than usual is put in the bin.

At Amberol we have found that it is important to take an educational and informative approach to litter management. “People need to know what they can deposit and where,” comments MD Patience Atkinson –Gregory. “Initiatives such as Bin it for Good help to establish good habits which hopefully will help to create a long term solution.

“It’s also important to look at bin design and make sure that you have the right kind of bin in the right location. For example, our hooded bins are popular because they keep the litter contained making it difficult for people or the elements to disturb it. Clear signage and the correct size/shape of aperture are also key to ensuring people use the bins provided.”

Find out more about how Amberol has helped customers to tackle their litter issue by reading some of our client case studies.