A Hubbub survey, conducted in 2020, found that a third of men aged 16–25 admitted to littering in the past month, making them the most likely demographic to do so.
Published by Hubbub this week, in conjunction with Coca-Cola and Burger King, the report ‘Big Boys Don’t Litter’ provides detailed insight into this demographic’s views of litter and how this group should be approached regarding campaigns to dissuade them from littering. The report is well worth reading and includes fascinating insight and observations including:
- When showed a picture of litter on a street, all young men interviewed had a negative gut reaction: "It’s a mess, gross.”
- “You want to do the right thing, but the bins are always full. It’s probably the best thing to do.”
- Almost half think the excuse ‘other people litter so why shouldn’t I’ is the worst excuse for littering, while more than three quarters cite lack of bins as the best excuse for littering.
- “If the group’s doing it, you don’t want to be the only one taking all the bottles to the bin – if the entire group is littering, you’re going to conform to that to fit in.”
- “When people are drinking, they have less regard for their surroundings. They don’t realise how much time people spend clearing it [their litter] up because the next weekend when they come back, it’s gone.”
- "It’s different to [littering in] a park. If you litter there, you’re ruining it for everyone else; if you do it on a motorway, it’s less of a big thing. I’m not ruining anyone’s journey.”
- “I don’t understand how my litter in a park could end up in the middle of the ocean. It just feels like too big a disconnect.”
The report can be downloaded here.
