A pioneering pilot 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% 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% reduction in food and drink packaging litter overall
- 20% reduction in confectionery litter
- 52% 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% to 36%).
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% of residents recalling activity. Among those with highest exposure:
- 83% said they would pick up litter near their home
- 68% were more likely to take personal responsibility for keeping the area clean
- 63% 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 also 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% to 42%.
The pilot also underscores the commercial relevance of tackling litter with 16% of businesses in the area saying customers would spend more in cleaner areas and 30% believing that improved cleanliness would attract new businesses.
The findings underline the role of environmental quality in supporting thriving high streets and inward investment.
Allison Ogden CEO of Keep Britain Tidy said: “Keep Britian Tidy has decades of understanding of - and unparalleled experience in - changing littering behaviours.
“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 said: “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 neighborhood 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."
Helen McFarlane, Sustainability Manager at McDonald’s, said: “McDonald’s is delighted to have supported the Litter Pact alongside Keep Britain Tidy and to see such strong results for the Heckmondwike community. Addressing litter is a shared responsibility, and this initiative demonstrates how effective partnership working and local engagement can deliver tangible benefits. We are proud to be part of something that is helping to create cleaner, more welcoming places for everyone.”
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.