Creative ways to tackle litter in rural areas, using the latest thinking and designs from around the world

In the UK have one very unlikely thing in common - a passion for litter. A staggering 86% of people think littering is a disgusting habit yet just 15% of us would actually confront someone and tell them that. It’s not just an issue for towns and cities, it can be found across country roads and ancient woodlands too, costing UK councils £682 million every year to clean up.

In 2016 we discovered one area where the permanence of litter was particularly visible - the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. Every year 250 tonnes of rubbish are removed costing local tax-payers more than £430,000. For every kilometre of road cleaned, three full black sacks of rubbish are collected. Yes sir yes sir, three bags full.

We've been working with groups in the Forest of Dean to trial different ways to raise awareness of the issue and encourage people to take their litter home. One theme that stood strong from the local community was their pride in the forest, so we created the umbrella campaign '#LoveYourForest'.

As part of the campaign we trialled: a pop-up litter shop displaying 33-year old litter collected from the forest floor, reminding people that litter can stick around for a very long time; 'Communitree' faces hung around the forest to remind people to take their litter home, and the 'Trashconverter' which invites members of the public to swap their trash for treats. We've also created a litter-free picnic inspiration guide with opportunities to win picnic prizes over social media.

Join the Love Your Forest Facebook page

The difference made

So far we've collaborated with 16 schools and 38 local businesses to run the campaign, and over 11,000 people have taken part in the activities, with the numbers continuously on the rise as the campaign has developed. 

Discover all of our insights, learnings and the impact in our Impact reports below. 

Impact Report 2016-2018

Impact Report 2019

What's next?

We’re excited to announce that there will be a further two years of Love Your Forest going into 2020, continuing the anti-litter activities and taking the campaign to the next level by introducing recycling on-the-go across the Forest of Dean. Look out for the same old favourites, plus new bins, recycle-reward machines, and other recycling fun!

Run your own

Now we know what works, it’s time for the rest of the UK to make #LoveYourForest local. We’ve put together a handy inspiration guide and resource pack with everything you need to run your very own #LoveYourForest campaign. Whether you work for a local authority, school, community group, forest association, or you just want to make a positive impact on local litter, our guide and resources will take you through creating eye-catching installations, holding a workshop, running a litter picking event, and loads more.

Download Love Your Forest Inspiration Guide 

To request a pack or learn more about the campaign, please contact us at [email protected]