#Crabby initiative drives behaviour change in the New Forest

Civic worked with behaviour change specialists Social Engine to develop ‘Look out for the New Forest’ – a behaviour change intervention designed to reduce littering for New Forest District Council.

Littering is a ‘dirty secret’ – most litterers do the deed when no-one else is around – and our literature review showed that people were more likely to avoid dropping litter if they felt they were being watched.

A coastal part of the intervention went live when lockdown lifted in late spring 2020, when huge numbers of people suddenly descended on the beach causing a littering epidemic.

Our collateral used #Crabby, a family-friendly ocean creature with eyes on stalks, backed up by motifs and phrases that helped develop a sense of surveillance. Crabby was placed on mobile billboards around coastal car parks and displayed on signage, buildings and bins, to create an overall sense of awareness.

It was also coupled with a behaviour change intervention that provided free litter bags at key sites, which provided positive reinforcement that people should take their litter home.

The intervention led to a 29% reduction in the amount of litter dropped in coastal areas, which equated to just over 10 tonnes of litter.