Keep Britain Tidy pilot reduces litter by up to 52% in Yorkshire town - Keep Britain Tidy
Charity launches free toolkit for councils after behaviour change programme delivers cleaner streets and improves residents’ perceptions.
A pioneering 12-month 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.
Backed by Kirklees Council, local MP Kim Leadbeater and major brands including KFC, Mars Wrigley, McDonald’s and Nestlé, the 'Love Where You Live Heckmondwike' campaign achieved significant reductions in litter and a measurable uplift in how residents felt about their area – showing how targeted, community-led interventions can help councils meet national priorities around civic pride, place-making and local regeneration.
Crucially, these outcomes were delivered without additional cleansing, extra bins or increased enforcement, demonstrating the power of sustained behaviour change activity.
The programme delivered:
- A 16% reduction in food and drink litter, with even greater reductions in specific categories eg. confectionery (-20%)
- 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%)
- Significant improvements in perceptions of local businesses’ contribution to cleanliness (up from 21% to 34%).