This is about more than simply getting people to pick up litter, though obviously that is important. We aim to change littering behaviour by understanding why people litter and developing creative campaigns and solutions.
We work with communities, schools, businesses, local authorities and the government to educate, innovate and inspire with the ambition to improve the environment on everyone’s doorstep so that we can all love where we live.
An environmental crime
Littering is a crime under the 1990 Environmental Protection Act, punishable with a fine of up to £2,500 in court but usually dealt with through a fixed penalty notice of up to £150 in England.
It is a crime that affects every community in the country and pollutes every environment, from the tops of mountains to the remotest beaches.
It makes places look unloved and uncared for, it increases people's fear of crime, it damages our waterways and eco-systems, it injures or kills pets and wildlife. The RSPCA reports that it receives about 5,000 calls a year about animals injured by litter. Unless it is picked up, litter can, ultimately, end up adding to the plastic pollution in our oceans, breaking down into microplastics that, finally, find their way into the food chain having been ingested by fish.
Eighty per cent of the plastic in our oceans comes from the land and it is estimated that by 2050 there will be more plastic, by weight, than fish in our oceans. The cigarette butts and plastic wrappers dropped in our towns and cities, which wash down our drains, add to this plastic menace.
Become a part of the solution
Join the thousands of volunteers who are making a difference, every day, all across the country. Whether on your own or as part of a group, litter-picking is an easy and fun way to get active, improve your wellbeing and take care of the environment on your doorstep.
Why do people litter?
People litter in various situations and for various reasons but none of them are acceptable.
Keep Britain Tidy has done a significant amount of research over the years into when and why people litter and has developed campaigns and interventions that can reduce littering, including our award-winning Bin it for Good, which turns litter bins in public places into charity bins, and Still Littering, tackling litter that has been 'placed' on steps, next to benches or on window ledges, which can reduce littering by up to 57%.
Litterers will offer up reasons for why they litter - 'there were no bins', 'it's biodegradable', 'it's only small' and many others - but, ultimately, these excuses result in a country that is blighted by discarded packaging, plastic wrappers and cigarette butts.
Dog fouling
While 90% of owners are responsible and pick up after their pets, sadly a small minority fail to clean up after their dogs or bag the poo and then leave it hanging from a tree or at the side of a path.
The public consistently tell us that dog fouling is one of the most offensive forms of littering. That is why we have developed campaigns such as We're Watching You and There's no such thing as the Dog Poo Fairy to encourage people to do the right thing and clean up after their pets.
Want to know more?
In February 2025, Keep Britain Tidy published a report looking back at ten years' of data on the amount of litter in England and investigating how people perceived the litter problem, how it made them feel and what they wanted to see done about it.
A Rubbish Reality reveals growing concern about the worsening impact of litter on public health, the environment and the economy.
It shows that more than 90% of places in England are blighted by litter, with just nine in every 100 locations in the country being litter-free.
How can you help?
Litter Heroes
Join Litter Heroes - the UK’s largest community of volunteer litter-pickers. On your own or with a group, litter-picking is an easy and fun way to get active, improve your wellbeing and take care of the environment on your doorstep.
Great British Spring Clean
The Great British Spring Clean is the nation’s biggest mass-action environmental campaign. Each year, more than 400,000 volunteers clear litter from our streets, parks and beaches.
Tackling smoking-related litter
Since 2022 we have reduced cigarette litter across the country by 17% with our national behaviour change campaign Cigarette Butts are Rubbish. Do what the duck says and bin or box your butts.