One in four people admit to littering as 'Love Where You Live' campaign in Heckmondwike ramps up

The Love Where You Live campaign kicked off in June by environmental charity, Keep Britain Tidy. It invites local people to reconnect with their community and play a part in making their environment cleaner, greener and more cared for.

The first part of the initiative, “Bin it for Good”, sees local charities rewarded for responsible litter disposal by the community.

Now, the second part, entitled “It’s Still Littering” is getting underway. The aim is to challenge residents to rethink what littering looks like.

The charity is reminding people that actions as simple as leaving a newspaper on a public bench or an empty coffee cup at a bus stop are still littering.

According to its new research, more than one in four people (26 per cent) in Heckmondwike have admitted to this behaviour, which is referred to as “careful littering”.

Already, a 41 per cent reduction in littering in areas running the “Still Littering” behaviour change intervention has been recorded in Heckmondwike since the campaign began.

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, chief executive at Keep Britain Tidy, said: “You might think you’re doing the right thing or think it’s harmless to leave a bit of packaging neatly on a ledge or bench – after all you didn’t throw it on the ground. But it’s littering all the same and the damage is real.

“Litter not only wrecks the environment, but it also undermines our sense of pride, affects our mental well-being, makes us all feel unsafe and lowers property values.

“With Love Where You Live Heckmondwike and the effective initiatives across the town, we’re seeing that by working together, small changes in behaviour can make a big difference to everyone.

“Let’s keep that momentum going, don’t place litter anywhere and love where you live.”

A recent survey found that 37 per cent of Heckmondwike residents do not feel proud to live in the area, and national research by Keep Britain Tidy has shown that living in a heavily littered area can have a negative impact on mental health.

But things are looking up as nearly half of people in the town say they are willing to work together to make a difference to the way the area looks.

Throughout the campaign, Heckmondwike will see: school-led clean-up events; litter-picking days; business partnerships to keep public areas clean; tackling of persistent problems such as dog mess, fly-tipping, and cigarette litter.

The campaign is a pilot scheme for best-practice litter reduction, with findings intended to shape recommendations for litter reduction efforts across the UK. The reductions as a result of the interventions placed in Heckmondwike are being closely monitored by Kirklees Council, who are working closely with Keep Britain Tidy on the project.

Coun Amanda Pinnock, cabinet member for communities and environment at Kirklees Council, said: “Unfortunately littering has become a real issue in our communities and changing people’s behaviour about this is a really important part of our wider ambition to have a cleaner and greener Kirklees for everyone.

“Through our partnership with Keep Britain Tidy, this project in Heckmondwike aims to highlight how even the smallest and unintentional actions can still count as littering.

“By changing people’s behaviour about littering, we can have cleaner towns and green spaces to enjoy for longer.”