Placing coffee cup on a ledge is still littering, says charity

BRITAIN is plagued by “careful litterers” who leave drink cans and coffee cups on window ledges and park benches rather than throw them away.

A campaign to stop people leaving food packaging behind when eating on-the-go has been launched by Keep Britain Tidy, reminding the public that it is still litter.

The campaign is being rolled out after a survey of 2,143 people for Keep Britain Tidy revealed that 27per cent admitted to so-called careful littering.

It is being launched in Manchester after a successful pilot that was supported by the People’s Postcode Lottery, which placed signs in places where rubbish is commonly left.

A series of posters and floor vinyls were developed to target the moment when people might carefully place litter on the ground or a surface before walking away. They remind people that, whether it is “carefully” placed or simply thrown away, it is still littering.

The trial took place in town centres, bus stops and parks across the country and saw the total amount of litter fall by 20 per cent, while in some areas the reduction was as much as 57 per cent.

Allison Ogden-newton, chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said: “By highlighting that placing a coffee cup on a shop window sill is just as bad as throwing litter on the ground, people think twice and to do it less often.

“With more than one in four people admitting to ‘careful’ littering, this campaign is a simple and effective way to get the message across.”