Make an anti-litter pledge
Don’t leave rubbish in the environment this summer, a new campaign pleads.
‘‘Band Together’’ – sponsored by Coca Cola Amatil, Frucor Suntory, KFC, Lion and Resene – asks New Zealanders to pledge to stop littering.
Be a Tidy Kiwi programme manager Richard Leckinger said he had studied littering behaviour and observed a 29 per cent littering rate for Aucklanders, a trend replicated in studies around the country.
‘‘Our campaign focuses on ‘place’ and why it’s important to connect individual decisions to litter with the impact it has on our communities.
‘‘That’s why we are asking Kiwis to pledge to Be a Tidy Kiwi,’’ Leckinger said.
The $900,000 campaign goes live this week and includes a 15-second advertisement featuring Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, a song, and a campaign website where anyone can make their own pledge. Public Place Recycling Scheme manager Lyn Mayes said that while the pledge was an individual commitment, the aim was to build a community-wide movement.
‘‘We know that people litter if there is already litter on the ground – it’s known as the stadium effect.
‘‘We aim to create a positive impact by asking every Kiwi to make a simple pledge this summer and to share this with their friends.’’
Auckland agency BrandWorld has created the campaign – which will be delivered through TV, radio and social media – with Litter Less Recycle More, which promotes the Love NZ and Be a Tidy Kiwi brands.
Head of product development David MacGregor said the pledge was a novel way to widely engage New Zealanders to actively commit to being more conscious of the litter issue.
A song, Just How We Do Things Round Here, will be available to stream and download on iTunes and Spotify.