Liz Gyekye / PackagingNews

Incpen: People do not care about litter

A new survey, conducted on Incpen’s behalf by Ipsos MORI, shows that only 24% of people think avoiding dropping litter is important to help protect and improve the environment.

Even fewer (19%) think that clearing up litter is important.

According to Incpen, the results seem to suggest that litter is very low on people’s priorities for protecting the environment.

Keep Britain Tidy chief executive Phil Barton said: “This survey shows the mountain we have to climb to change attitudes and behaviours to littering.  We urge everyone to get behind the ‘Love Where You Live’ campaign and to play their part in building pride in local streets, parks and countryside.”

The government’s recently published Waste Policy Review noted that badly littered and untidy places make people feel unsafe in their own neighbourhoods.

Incpen director Jane Bickerstaffe said: “Just one piece of litter shows that a place isn’t loved.  Other litter soon follows then other forms of anti-social behaviour, in a downwards spiral.

“Join Incpen in supporting Keep Britain Tidy’s new ‘Love Where You Live’ campaign. Don’t drop litter and also pick up other peoples.”

The new survey was conducted on Incpen’s behalf by Ipsos MORI in July 2011.