The Problem

According to research carried out by Keep Britain Tidy Group, Encams:

• In 2001, food litter was found on only 4% of streets...in 2007 that had risen to 22%
• 25% of people admitted to dropping litter with 18-24 year olds the worst litterers - 47% of this age group would grab a bite to eat after a night out.

In Bournemouth the night time economy has continued to grow with more than 60 fast food outlets in the town centre alone catering for consumers night and day. This has led to a growth in fast food related litter being dropped on our streets.

How we responded

Bournemouth Borough Council embarked on a joint local and national high profile campaign with Keep Britain Tidy group ENCAMS. aimed at 18-24 year olds. The campaign featured images of young people with pig-like features accompanied by the slogan "What does dropping litter make you look like?"

How we campaigned 

• Teamed up with Encams in a national marketing campaign which included outdoor advertising on bus shelters and phone kiosks, advertising in pubs and club toilets, distributed window vinyls for businesses and the public, distributed stationery branded with the Keep Our Bournemouth Clean message and sent out information packs: 
• Launched the 'Food On The Go' campaign with a Town centre event where councillors and staff wore Pig masks and 'wallowed' in a pen full of fast food litter drawing attention to the key message of what dropping litter makes people look like. 
• Council Environmental Compliance Officers visited over 50 food on the go outlets spreading the campaign message and signing outlets up to the Voluntary Code of Practice.
• Environmental Compliance Officers carried out early morning 'patrols' to be a 'visible presence' on the streets when party goers where leaving venues to assess the extent of the problem.
• Installed an additional 150 new street recycling and litter bins funded from partnership working with Marks and Spencer
• Approached businesses asking if they would consider sponsoring a street litter bin.

A Voluntary Code of Practice for 'Food On The Go' Outlets

Recognising that it was not just consumers that needed to be targeted, we also needed to make the 'food on the go' outlets aware of the issue.  The Voluntary Code of Practice was launched offering a framework for businesses to identify how, when and where their worst litter problems arise, then working in partnership with Bournemouth Borough Council to look at the issues and how best to tackle them.

So far over 40 outlets have signed up to the agreement and are working in partnership with us to help Keep Our Bournemouth Clean!

Media coverage

The media coverage that was created from the launch stretched across radio, local press and national press (as partners with ENCAMS). 

How we measured our success

• Monitoring of six hotspot areas across the borough before, during and after the campaign
• Success of the numbers of Food on the go outlets signing up to The Voluntary Code of Practice. 
• Success of the high numbers of requests for the posters from residents and businesses
• Extensive media coverage
• Attitude and awareness questionnaires with members of the public.
• Success of the businesses requesting to sponsor a bin 

Results

Nationally Encams saw a national average reduction of 35% in Food On The Go related litter across the 10 partner authorities

In Bournemouth the campaign was even more successful with a 49 per cent reduction fast food litter in the six hotspot areas monitored.

The campaign is continually ongoing as more and more outlets sign up to The Voluntary Code of Practice.