Vehicle Litter Research

Jo SchultzSenior Market Research Coordinator

May 2009

Background

• 2001 - ‘Have you dropped one?’

Background

Based on Litter Segmentation Research (2001)

Identified those most likely to litter out of vehicles

Younger, drive sporty cars, dropped litter carelessly

• 2003 - ‘Don’t be a tosser!’

Background

• 2009 – Vehicle littering still a problem!!

• ‘On 34 miles of the M1 between junction 24 and junction 30 in the East Midlands, roughly 2500 refuse bags of litter are collected each year.’ (Highways Agency website: http://www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge/19614.aspx)

Background

• Recent media and political attention• Bill Bryson and CPRE – 3 year ‘Stop the Drop’

campaign

Call for tougher penaltiesEncourage local authorities to be more

proactive

Background

• However…

Difficulty proving identity of vehicle litterer

Most prosecutions fail

Background

• LGA – voiced support for new systemRegistered owner of vehicle pays fine or identifies litter bug!

Work like speeding fine

• Bryson – reasonable chance offender will be caught and punishment must be ‘meaningfully painful’

Methodology

What did we do…..?

Methodology

• Reanalysis of previous research

• Speaking to vehicle litterers (members of the public and commercial drivers)

• Consulting local authorities

• Consulting the public

Results

What did we find…?

Who and How Often?

Results

• Who and How Many?• 14% general public (Litter Segmentation, 2006)• BUT…20% (The Word on our Street, 2009)• Life’s Too Short / Am I Bothered

• Males• Smokers• 18-34 year olds• Low level of guilt for socially unacceptable

behaviour• Low level of income / education

Results• How often? 35% vehicle littered ‘today’

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

% o

f re

sp

on

den

ts

Today In the last week In the last month In the last 6 months

Last dropped litter from a vehicle

Base: 535

Last time respondents dropped an item of litter out of their vehicle

What?

Results

• What?Percentage of respondents who have dropped … today

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

% o

f re

sp

on

de

nts

Cigarettes Chewinggum

Small piecesof paper

Drinkscontainers

Fruit peel /core

Fast foodpackaging

Items of Litter

Today Last 6 months

Base: 535

Results

Frequency that smokers who are vehicle litterers throw cigarettes out of their vehicle

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

% o

f re

sp

on

den

ts w

ho

sm

oke

Today In the last 6 months

Frequency

• Smokers

Base: 260

Results

Percentage of Smokers and Non-smokers who have thrown … out of their vehicle within the last 6 month

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

% o

f re

spo

nd

ents

Fast food packaging Drinks containers Cigarettes Small pieces of paper Chewing gum Fruit peel / core Other

Items of litter

Smoker Non-smoker Base: 535

What Situations?

Results

• SituationsAnonymity

Quiet (opposed to busy traffic)

“It’s less noticeable, also less guilt as it’s gone in a second and then you don’t see it anymore”

Results

Moving (opposed to stationary)Members of public

“…wouldn’t do it in stationary traffic”

“…wouldn’t do it at the lights”

Results

Stationary (as opposed to moving)

Commercial drivers

“Don’t like to but might do when parked up”

“…at an island – anywhere you stop”

Results

Residential (opposed to motorway/dual carriageway)

Street (opposed to car park)

“Less likely to do it near home”

Results

Commercial Drivers

When there are no bins / the bins are full

“In the lay bys the bins are always full and over flowing”

“If bin is full I’ll just chuck it to the side, then a lorry will come along and it’s blown in to the road”

Results

Commercial Drivers

When in the vehicle for long periods of time (most common length of time = 10 -14 hours)

“Eat all day long in the vehicle…have been pulled over by a copper for eating while driving.”

“…apple cores – easier to throw out…if left it would end up festering.”

Results

Commercial Drivers

Additional Factors

Place of work; “office”, “living quarters”

Laziness; “just easier to throw it out”

“Even at service stations…lorry drivers are idle. It’s warm in your cab… (and you don’t want to get out)”

Reasons for not littering

Results

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

If you are caught littering fromyour vehicle you will be

punnished

Littering from your vehicledamages the environment

If you litter from your vehiclesomeone could be watching

Most people don't litter fromtheir vehicle

% of respondents

Base: 535

Strongest reasons for not littering out of vehicles

Solutions

Results

• Solutions

Majority (84%) wouldn’t buy a vehicle litter bag

Majority (83%) would use one if given for free

Majority (81%) said it would reduce amount they litter out of vehicles

Members of the public

Results

• Solutions (commercial drivers)

No rules / regulations set by employers Would need real threat to pay and job

securityE.g. pay / bonus reduction

“(The real deterrent wouldn’t be)… the amount of fine, it would be how many people got caught”

Results: Local Authority Opinion

Percentage of respondents rating

it as favouriteLegislative Option

39% Person in control of the vehicle is held responsible

34% Registered owner of the vehicle is required to name the offender

13% Vehicle littering is criminal offence and the offender is prosecutable with a max penalty of £2500 or paying an FPN of £75 within 14 days (current legislation).

12% Decriminalise vehicle littering and deal with it in a similar way to parking tickets (PCN)

Base: 122

Results

• Public Opinion

• 73% agreed that it should be the legal responsibility of the driver to ensure that nobody throws litter from the vehicle.

Questions?