Beau Zilesnick from the environmental charity Hubbub, which collaborates with councils and other organisations to run behaviour change campaigns, picks up six key litter lessons.

Tackling litter is among the most immediately visible duties of a council. Unfortunately, it’s a double-edged sword – get it wrong, and you've got unattractive, dirty streets, but succeed, and it’s easily overlooked as the norm.

Our data shows that 62% of people feel angry about litter, and two-fifths are frustrated that there aren't more bins or campaigns to tackle the issue. Based on our partnerships with several councils, here are some key insights into successful (and unsuccessful) litter management:

Firstly, it might be easy to assume that litter is a low-tech or straightforward issue, in which there's not much room for innovative, strategic thinking. But if you want to really change things, then litter deserves the same level of strategy and planning as any area of council business.

Secondly, consider measurement at the start of any new approaches you try. Again, in any other area of council activity, you’d want to know whether your new interventions lead to improvements, because taxpayers and ratepayers deserve to know their money is being spent effectively.

Thirdly, look at the data around where litter comes from. Contrary to popular belief, most littering isn’t an act of laziness or selfish behaviour – it's often unintentional. Last year, researchers from King’s College London found that 46% of non-cigarette litter was ‘politely littered’ – placed in perceived appropriate spots, like on a wall close to an overflowing bin. Add in accidental littering – an item escaping from an overfilled bin or falling out of someone’s pocket – and the figure rises to 63% of litter being unintentional.

In addition to looking at existing data, gather insights in your local area. Speak to residents and to street operatives. Before you make assumptions about solutions, remember that there can be a gap between what people say they want or how they claim to behave versus what happens in real life.

For example, in our first recycling-on-the-go campaign, Leeds By Example, our team spent a day observing people interacting with bins and found (among other things) that most people spend less than two seconds at a bin. This key insight, which wouldn’t have been uncovered from a survey, informed the design of more visible, accessible new bins, with bold, clear messaging, positioned so it would be easily visible from a distance.

Fourthly, keep it positive! Messaging around litter shouldn't adopt a finger-wagging, negative tone, especially given that the majority of littering is unintentional. Negative messaging can be counterproductive too – as we unfortunately discovered in one Hubbub trial it can actually lead to more littering.

Fifthly, try new things and embrace innovation. Using tech and gamification are very powerful tools.

In Glasgow last year, Hubbub used scientific litter mapping by tech firm Ellipsis Earth to complete surveys of the roadside, uncovering rich insights into litter patterns and causes. Placing bins close to the identified hotspots reduced litter by 45%, and adding a sign lifted that figure to 58%. We’ve also seen great results from the Ballot Bin, a customisable voting ashtray started as an experiment in Westminster in 2015. It encourages smokers to vote with their butts rather than throw them on the floor, asking questions such as: ‘Who’s the best footballer in the world? Ronaldo or Messi.’ There are now more than 5,000 of them in 43 countries, and they have been proven to reduce cigarette litter by up to 73%.

Finally, remember that collaboration is key. We know that successful environmental measures tap into a broad base of support, which is fortunate, given the increasing pressures on council resources.

You can be sure that there are plenty of local stakeholders from businesses to third sector organisations who would be keen to get involved and amplify your message – and by working together you can make sure your messages hit home, and your streets remain tidy.