Why Do People Drop Litter?

Loads of research has been done on littering behaviour, and here are just some of the reasons. Most of us will drop litter accidentally at some point, but there’s a big difference in the amount, type of litter and how often we drop it.

How does seeing litter make you feel?

What do you think about these reasons?

• Bennachie is huge, my little bottle, sweet wrapper or crisp bag won’t affect anyone or anything
• Bennachie isn’t my responsibility, someone else will pick up my litter, after all, folk are paid to clean up
• Bennachie isn’t my neighbourhood so dropping litter here doesn’t matter, it’s not my problem
• I can’t be bothered carrying my litter or trying to find a bin
• I’m not carrying a smelly bag of dog poo on my walk
• I’m not sure what ‘counts’ as litter - it’s okay to drop biodegradable stuff like loo roll, banana skins and orange peel
• There’s litter already lying around, so it’s okay for me to drop litter here too

Sometimes folk just don't understand their responsibilities and how their litter affects the environment. Jock is hoping that once they understand what’s happening on Bennachie, humans will be more responsible with their litter.

If an area is litter free people are less likely to drop litter, so Jock is hoping that’s what will happen on Bennachie, if we share this message and information.

More Information

For more information please visit.

• Zero Waste Scotland
• Why Do People Litter?
• What is Litter?
• Why litter is surging as lockdowns ease? (BBC)
• Litter... Why does it Matter? (PDF) (Lesson Plan)