Litter Barometer 2024

Here are some of the key findings from the Keep Sweden Tidy report:

– Littering is perceived as a major problem: 7 out of 10 Swedes consider littering to be a major or very major problem.

– The negative consequences of litter: More than half of Swedes feel that there is a lot of litter at rest areas, along roads and in urban environments. Litter in oceans and waterways is particularly worrying – half of all Swedes think that the amount of plastic in the oceans is the most serious consequence.

– Packaging knowledge gaps: There are significant knowledge gaps regarding labels on plastic packaging such as ‘compostable’ or ‘biodegradable’. Many people mistakenly believe that these types of plastics break down in nature, which can lead to improper handling and increased littering problems.

– Less littering – but with increased tolerance? Interestingly, the survey shows that Swedes are experiencing less litter than in previous years, but this may be due to an increased tolerance of litter rather than real improvements. We are simply getting used to the problem.

The Litter Barometer shows that while we are aware of the seriousness of littering, there is a big gap between what we know and how we actually act.

Read the full report here: https://hsr.se/sites/default/files/2024-09/Skrapbarometern-2024-digital.pdf