May 2024
Background
In early 2021, as the COVID-19 pandemic began to subside, WCBC was approached by the Eryri National Park Authority (ENP). The Authority expressed growing frustration over the rising levels of littering and general disrespect for the natural environment within the National Park. Littering on Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) has been a persistent issue, particularly along the Llanberis Path, which is the busiest route in Eryri. However, the problem appeared to have escalated significantly as international travel restrictions prompted more UK holidaymakers to explore domestic destinations.
As with all our projects, we employed a structured approach to address the issue:
- Define the Problem: Assess the scope and scale of the littering issue.
- Identify Key Behavioural Drivers, Barriers, and Enablers: Understand the underlying factors contributing to the problem.
- Design a Bespoke Intervention: Utilize our behavioural toolkit to craft a tailored solution.
Traditional interventions, such as public deterrents, warning signs, and simply raising awareness, have proven ineffective in reducing littering. This is consistent with findings across the literature, which show that awareness-raising alone is rarely successful in changing behaviour. Over several hiking seasons, we conducted extensive surveys to gain a deeper understanding of the problem. Using the COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour) model, we analysed the survey responses to uncover the root causes of littering and identify effective strategies for intervention.
A key insight from this analysis was that the increase in footfall had brought a disproportionate number of "naïve" visitors—individuals who were unfamiliar with the UK National Parks. This group often included people from urban centres such as Manchester, Liverpool, and Birmingham, or those who previously vacationed abroad but were now exploring local destinations. Contrary to our initial assumptions, the littering was not due to a lack of care for the environment. This highlights the importance of basing interventions on actual data rather than assumptions, allowing the target audience to convey their perceived reality.
Our COM-B analysis revealed that most visitors were indeed motivated to preserve the natural beauty of Eryri National Park. However, the analysis also highlighted distinct behavioural segments among the visitors:
This group generally adhered to the 'leave no trace' principle and were not contributing to the litter problem. In fact, they often helped by collecting litter left behind by others.
This segment, while motivated to care for the environment, faced several capability and opportunity barriers that contributed to littering:
Capability Gaps:
- A misconception that the National Park had caretaking staff responsible for regular litter collection.
- An assumption that the Park would have ample bins, relieving visitors of the responsibility to manage their waste.
- A lack of preparation, such as not bringing a bag to collect and carry out their litter.
Opportunity Issues:
- Bins are mainly located in car parks, but their locations are not clearly communicated to visitors. As a result, visitors were often unsure where to dispose of their waste.
- Bins in car parks were frequently overflowing, creating an appearance of neglect and reinforcing a social norm that littering was acceptable.
One common suggestion from the surveys, particularly among younger visitors (aged 20-30), was the need for more bins. Conversely, older visitors were more aware of littering issues and emphasized the importance of personal responsibility in managing waste. ENP shared this perspective and was keen to encourage visitors to take responsibility for their own waste management.
The Solution
To address the identified COM-B outcomes and align with ENP’s broader objectives, we designed a behaviourally informed script for use by park wardens, volunteers, and staff. This script (shown below) embedded key messages and employed various techniques to enhance behavioural effectiveness:
Engaging visitors with questions that fostered a sense of autonomy and responsibility, such as asking why they felt it was important to protect the environment.
Encouraging visitors to plan ahead, such as bringing bags for litter.
Identifying practical solutions to barriers and highlighting enablers for responsible behaviour.
Researchers stationed themselves at an ENPA information van located at the base of the Watkin Path on Yr Wyddfa, where they engaged passing visitors in discussions about their plans while visiting Eryri, including how they intended to manage any litter they might create during their visit. The questions were open-ended and designed to probe the motivations and values of the visitors, often including “why?” questions to encourage deeper reflection. The conversation deliberately avoided using injunctive or authoritarian language; instead, visitors were encouraged to think about the issues independently and come up with solutions themselves. Additionally, hikers were given the opportunity to sign an electronic pledge, committing to take responsibility for keeping the mountains tidy.
Following these discussions, researchers walked the first half of the Watkin Path and recorded the quantity of litter across six predefined zones and categorized the litter into six types. Litter counts were conducted on both intervention days (when discussions were held with visitors) and non-intervention days (when no discussions took place) during April 2023. The study carefully controlled for variables such as foot traffic, ENPA volunteer cleaning efforts, and weather conditions.
A map of the zones (A-G) and the location of the ENPA information van is shown in the figure below:
Subsequently, the results demonstrated a significant reduction in littering on days when the intervention was implemented, further reinforcing the effectiveness of this behaviourally informed approach.
We piloted this intervention by having researchers engage with visitors as they ascended Yr Wyddfa. On control days, no script was used to establish a baseline for comparison.
Using Behavioural Science to Reduce Littering
The results from the study showed that there was significantly less litter on the mountain when the script intervention (shown below) was present. Reductions in litter were observed across all zones, indicating that the efficacy of the script was maintained over time and distance. Notably, some hikers, especially those with children, went beyond their personal litter responsibilities by retrieving additional litter during their walk and returning to the car park with a bagful. This behaviour suggests that the script, along with the pledge, effectively encouraged "litter planning" and primed a mindset focused on protecting the natural environment. Furthermore, the presence of researchers seemed to foster an environment where prosocial behaviour was expected, reinforcing the injunctive norm of caring for the environment.
Following the success of this initiative, ENP has integrated the key messages from our script into their own behaviourally informed campaigns.
Conclusion
A key goal of the Eryri National Park Authority (ENPA) is to support visitors in taking personal responsibility for their actions, including waste disposal, and to cultivate a culture of protecting the natural world. This study demonstrates how the use of a behaviourally informed conversation with visitors can effectively promote pro-environmental behaviour. The findings suggest that our likelihood of littering is directly influenced by specific capabilities, opportunities, and motivations related to waste disposal. By applying behavioural science, we can create interventions that not only reduce littering but also foster a deeper connection between visitors and the natural environments they cherish.