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A plastic bottle lies discarded in the foreground, while sheep graze in the field

Mapping the litter problem with social media

Citizen-scientists are being urged to photograph the rubbish they find and post it on social media to help researchers understand the country’s littering problem.

The team, from ΒιΆΉΝψ, in north Wales, are asking anyone who spots a discarded Lucozade drinks bottle to let them know using the hashtag #LucozadeLitter.

Any data collected will be used as part of a wider project investigating why people litter and what can be done about it.
Lucozade bottles have been chosen because an earlier study, by the organisation Trash Free Trails, found these products to be the most littered item on mountain biking trails across the UK.

Explaining what people can do to get involved, project co-lead, Dr Christian Dunn said: β€œIf you’re out-and-about and spot a bottle of Lucozade that’s been discarded please take a picture of it, post it on social media with your location and give it the hashtag #LucozadeLitter.

β€œWe’re trying to build-up a picture of just how great the problem is in different areas, with the ultimate aim of seeing how producers of the most littered items and the consumers of them can work together to reduce littering.”

Gprweddai potel plastig, wedi ei thaflu , yn y cefndir mae defaid yn pori mewn cae.A plastic bottle lies discarded in the foreground, while sheep graze in the field
Gorweddai potel plastig Lucozade yn y gwair mewn amgylchedd mynyddig
Gwena dun efo gwallt du pigog a chrys glas ar y camera
Dr Christian Dunn
Dyn efo gwallt tywyll cyrliog a spectol yn gwisgo crys glas golau yn sefyll gyda choed yn y cefndir
Yr Athro Nathan Abrams

#LucozadeLitter

β€œOh, and if possible, please don’t forget to pick-up the litter after you’ve photographed it and dispose of it properly,” Dr Dunn added.

The project’s other co-lead, Prof. Nathan Abrams, said:

β€œWe can all see littering is a problem and this is despite countless campaigns over decades trying to do something about it.

β€œOur research is considering whether we can look at this from a different angle: not just put all the blame on the person dropping the litter but have shared-responsibility between the consumer and producer.

β€œIf we really want to stop littering, then we must rethink how to tackle it.”

A leading national environmental charity, 2 Minute Foundation, has already shown its support for the project on social media by encouraging its followers to use the #LucozadeLitter hashtag. 

The charity, which runs the popular #2MinuteBeachClean campaign, said:

"We'd urge everyone doing a two-minute beach clean to get involved in the project by letting the researchers at ΒιΆΉΝψ know where they've spotted some Lucozade litter - it's really important we all work together to clean up our planet however we can."

To get involved in the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funded, #LucozadeLitter project you can use the hashtag when uploading your findings to Instagram or Twitter.
 

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