Newham Better Streets Programme Case Study

In 2019, Keep Britain Tidy embarked on the award-winning Better Streets programme, in partnership with Newham Council to tackle the fly-tipping that was blighting their borough and costing them, like local authorities across the country, millions of pounds a year to deal with.

Better Streets had three aims: to reduce the number of fly-tipping incidents; to educate and inform residents about fly-tipping and its impact; to measure the impact of each element of the programme with a view to expanding successful initiatives across the borough.

Keep Britain Tidy has a track record of delivering measurable and sustainable impact when it comes to changing behaviour and has worked with local authorities around the country, helping them tackle the issues they face.

Our work is driven by research and evidence – we want to do what works not simply what grabs headlines for a day or costs so much to implement that it cannot be adopted by others as an effective solution.

For the Better Streets programme, our award-winning Centre for Social Innovation reviewed our existing research into fly-tipping, including research with fly-tippers, and worked with residents to co-design solutions that, crucially, would resonate with them and which they believed would make a difference.

After this co-creation, five separate interventions were trialed in Newham: Crime Scene Investigation Tape; Social Impact Stencils; No Waste on Streets; Empowering Schools and Love Your Ward Weekend.

These interventions had some fantastic results with some seeing initial reductions in fly-tipping of at least 64% on average with, crucially, longer-term reductions averaging at least 50% lower than pre-trial levels.

More than half of the residents surveyed after the interventions also told us that they felt the Better Streets project showed that Newham Council was working to tackle fly-tipping.

Newham has gone on to replicate the approach in other areas of the borough, with two thirds of sites delivering an average 42% reduction in fly-tipping.

The programme's success was recognised at the 2021 LGC Awards, where Newham Council and Keep Britain Tidy won an award for Environmental Services. Judges praised Better Streets as an

“impactful and innovative solution to tackling a significant environmental problem. Developed with strong and ongoing relationships with the community."

The programme was also shortlisted for the Best Community and Neighbourhood Initiative at the APSE Annual Service Awards, and for a Global Good Award. 

Speaking about the Better Streets Programme, Newham Council’s Cabinet Lead for Environment, Highways and Sustainable Transport, Cllr James Asser, said:

“This work with partners and residents shows real change can be made to improve the borough by working together.”

We are now taking bookings for 2023/24 support packages so that you can replicate the award winning interventions in your authority. Discounts are available for Keep Britain Tidy Network members.

If you would like to know how you can work with the country’s most popular environmental charity to reduce fly-tipping and create a cleaner ‘better streets’ for your residents, please get in touch with the team.

If you would like to find out more about the Better Streets Programme you can download the case study by providing your details here.

Watch our case study webinar to find out more about how the programme worked and how it could work in your area too.