Clever strategies to keep those trash receptacles filled
According to Keep America Beautiful, one of the bad aspects of litter is that it encourages more people to litter. Researchers from KAB observed that if people see garbage scattered around public or commercial trash cans, they tend to drop their litter on the ground nearby.
This is why it is imperative that cities mount aggressive and clever anti-litter campaigns and provide more trash receptacles for people to get rid of their trash. Several cities as indicated in the infographic above have instituted innovative anti-litter programs that have had very positive results.
Toronto public officials gave people a big jolt when they saw negative words spelled out with garbage. In Hong Kong, municipal officials claimed they could track down litter-bugs through the use of DNA (not true). But it did catch the attention of the local populace and made them think twice about littering.
Another good idea is to tap into the artistic community and try to generate some clever anti-litter slogans.
Probably the most well-known and recognized slogan is the "Don't Mess With Texas" campaign. The Texas Department of Transportation said that campaign, which included the use of Texas celebrities such as Chuck Norris, Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Matthew McConaughey, was able to reduce roadside trash by nearly 75%.
The campaign became so popular it generated its own line of t-shirts. The slogan was honored by both the Madison Avenue Walk of Fame and The Advertising Hall of Fame.
Other popular slogans include - "Put trash in its place," "Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute," "There is No Planet B" and "Every Litter Bit Hurts." You can see more catchy anti-litters sayings here in our Top 30 list here.
Towns and cities don't need Willie Nelson to tell people not to litter. Get your local schools involved in coming up with clever slogans and posters to create awareness. Post them near commercial trash cans or other strategic points where people are likely to litter - near outdoor restaurants, bus stops, entrances to parks, etc.
Most people know littering is wrong - they just need a nudge every now and then to remind them. As we can see, a clever anti-litter campaign can go a very long way in maintaining a clean planet.