From the hectic streets of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to the tranquil footpaths of the Forest of Dean, Hubbub have been travelling across the country in 2016 to test out new and innovative ways to curb litter. We’ve discovered that along with a strong identity and sense of humour, each region has its own challenges with littering.
Following the successful pilot in London last year, this year we decided to trial our Neat Streets campaign in the rural setting of the Forest of Dean. ‘Love Your Forest’ launched in April with the UK’s first rural litter shop, an installation built using rubbish found on the forest floor. The rubbish collected was cleaned, repackaged and displayed in the ‘CON-venience’ store in Coleford. The shop had 500 visitors and was featured in the Guardian and on the BBC.
In the Forest of Dean, we are also trialling ‘Communitrees’, a creative initiative to tackle litter by bringing trees to life. The idea is based on a trial carried out in Rotterdam where police discovered there was a significant drop in crime when painted eyes were put up in high-risk areas. We have taken this concept to the Forest of Dean, working with local artists to produce 50 tree faces made from litter and reclaimed materials. The Communitrees are part of a summer walking trail around the forest creating a fun summer holiday activity for families and children.
In Edinburgh, Hubbub has been working in partnership with Keep Scotland Beautiful throughout summer to test new interventions that have engaged residents, tourists and businesses alike, including our Ballot Bin which has now been rolled out across the city. When Edinburgh City Council asked ‘Who’s your favourite
Trainspotting character? Begbie or Renton’, Ewan McGregor himself responded by uploading a picture of the bin onto Instagram and Twitter. Jonny Lee Miller then got involved in the online jostling. Their messages received almost 33k likes and almost 500 retweets within a week!
As with all of our campaigns, we will thoroughly measure impact and openly share results so that other councils can replicate successful elements.
For more information on Hubbub’s litter campaigns or to find out how you can run your own campaign please visit www.hubbub.org.uk/neatstreets or contact rebecca@hubbub.org.uk
