Stop the Drop- some of the best anti-litter campaigns

Some people need reminding that dropping litter is a horrible, anti-social thing to do, but nobody likes being preached at. So what can be done? Here are some of the best anti-litter campaigns from past years that actually worked.

Make it fun

Just imagine if chucking something in a bin was suddenly fun and engaging. Well, the Ballot Bins scheme in London and Edinburgh did just that. The double slot ‘ballot’ bins gave people a chance to vote with their rubbish. The bins were inscribed with light hearted questions to get people thinking: Batman or Superman? Messi or Ronaldo? The possibilities are endless. And by going viral on social media, it worked really well to raise awareness and reduced littering too.

Inspire civic pride

In 1977, the advertising slogan ‘I love New York’ with a stylised heart to replace the word love, was created, in a bid to promote tourism in a city which, in those days, had a bad reputation for grime and crime. It worked and has been copied throughout the world. The campaign ‘I Love Manchester’ was launched in the city in 2011, in order to inspire civic pride and community clean-ups flowing the violence and riots in the summer of that year. It has since become a globally recognised advertising slogan for the city. Read more about it here ilovemanchester.com.

Appeal to our better nature

A lot of littering is unconscious and people simply don’t think about what they’re doing. Getting people to actually see the litter bins is half the battle. The ‘Bin it for Good’ campaign had bins which promised ‘Help a charity, use this bin.’ Birmingham city council pledged to donate to good causes if the bin was well used. The psychology behind this campaign meant that people spotted the bins and felt they were doing something positive.

We love a rhyme

Who can resist a catchy slogan? Like ‘Give a hoot, don’t pollute’ or ‘’Stop the drop’. ‘Flingin’s mingin’ take your carbage home’ was created by Zero Waste Scotland with the aim of stopping people from throwing rubbish from their vehicle windows. The slogan used informal language which helped people connect easily with the idea. Similarly, the slogan ‘Don’t mess with Texas’ was so successful that after a few years 98% of Texas residents were familiar with the slogan and visible roadside litter had reduced by 75%.

Get them young

And finally, who remembers ‘The Wombles’? If you grew up in the seventies, you may recall this stop-motion animated and uniquely British tv series which featured these furry friends. It wasn’t an official anti-litter campaign but arguably had an impact on a generation of children. Voiced by actor Bernard Cribbins, the Wombles lived underneath Wimbledon Common in London and spent their days secretly collecting and recycling rubbish, left by humans. Children loved it and a feature film ’Wombling Free’ and a hit record soon followed. The anti-littering message was clear but presented to the young in a charming and humorous way. ‘Remember you’re a Womble’? listen here- m.youtube.com/watch?v=tdhJJw4XNPY

Solutions at Lincoln Cleaning Technology

Litter is ugly and anti-social. Despite these creative campaigns, clean ups are always needed and fortunately, there is a wide range of industrial street cleaning machines which can take on this work.

Dulevo D6

The mighty Dulevo D6 has advanced technology which can solve the dirtiest floor cleaning issues. At Lincoln Cleaning Technology we can provide our customers with the Dulevo D6 and many other street sweepers, both ride-on and walk behind. We work with the Dulevo Fayat Group who are the leading Italian manufacturer of sweepers, scrubbers and street washers for commercial, industrial and urban cleaning.

Contact us today and we can help you find which Dulevo vehicle is best suited to your needs.

Visit our website: https://lincolncleaningtechnology.co.uk