The campaign posters feature common excuses that people use to justify dropping litter.

Large businesses support Keep Britain Tidy and Defra to fight littering in England

A new ‘Keep it, Bin it’ campaign to tackle littering has been set-up by Keep Britain Tidy and Defra with support from big-name businesses including Mars Wrigley Confectionary, McDonalds, Greggs, Network Rail and PepsiCo UK.

The campaign will feature moving images of wildlife eating and becoming tangled in litter, along with captions exposing the typical excuses people tell themselves to justify their littering behaviour.

The RSPCA respond to 1,500 calls every year which relate to animals that have become trapped or harmed by litter. There is also a huge financial consequence to littering; £700m is spent annually by local governments keeping public areas clean.

According to Keep Britain Tidy, one in five people admit to dropping litter. In addition, a poll by YouGov revealed that one in four people admit to ‘careful’ littering; for instance, leaving cans on window ledges.

The campaign will be on display in nationwide train stations, social media channels, till-points at Greggs, Cineworld cinemas and on Clear Channel’s Socialite screens.

Allison Ogden-Newton, chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said: “We know the impact that litter has on our environment, on wildlife and, ultimately, our oceans where 80% of the plastics found there come directly from the land.

“This campaign will raise awareness with those people who still think it is acceptable to leave their rubbish anywhere other than in a bin.

“The message is simple – Keep it. Bin it.”

Image (c) Keep Britain Tidy