Environmental charity Hubbub announces public launch of the Big Ballot Bin, which uses voting on topical questions to encourage waste disposal and was shown in trials to reduce drinks and food litter by up to 70 per cent within a 20-metre radius.
Environmental charity Hubbub has announced the public launch of the Big Ballot Bin, a waste receptacle that invites people to vote on topical questions by disposing of rubbish in one of two chambers.
An eight-week pilot conducted in 2023 with KFC, Manchester City Council and Southampton City Council showed that drinks litter was reduced by 70 per cent and food litter by 60 per cent within a 20-metre radius of the bins, according to litter surveying by technology company Ellipsis Earth. The bins' capture radius was 2.5 times larger than standard bins.
Alex Robinson, Hubbub CEO, said: "The Big Ballot Bin shows what happens when you make the right choice ‘the fun choice’. Traditional enforcement often fails to change behaviour, but when you invite people to take part in something playful and topical, littering drops dramatically."
The Big Ballot Bin is a solar-powered unit with a 240-litre capacity, equipped with a remote tracking system that monitors vote counts and collects data for environmental, social and governance reporting. The bin is available with customisable branding, colours and campaign messaging, allowing organisations to integrate it into their operations.
Litter costs English councils approximately £822 million per year to manage, according to 2022-2023 figures. Keep Britain Tidy estimates that over two million pieces of litter are dropped in the UK each day, at a cost of £957 million to councils in 2023-2024.
Voting ashtray
The Big Ballot Bin is based on Hubbub's original Ballot Bin voting ashtray, which was first introduced in 2015. The cigarette butt voting system has been installed in over 5,000 locations across 43 countries and has collected more than 15 million cigarette butts, according to Hubbub.
The trial of the Big Ballot Bin attracted attention on social media, reaching 10 million people organically, according to Hubbub. Manchester City Council reported that "people were actively seeking them out" during the pilot period.
Hubbub is inviting organisations in the leisure, hospitality and attractions sectors to become early adopters of the Big Ballot Bin. The charity is offering preferential pricing and a support package that includes creative customisation, access to tracking technology and communications collaboration.
The bins can display questions on topical subjects, such as entertainment preferences or current events, with users voting by depositing waste in designated chambers. The approach is intended to make waste disposal more engaging whilst reducing littering in high-traffic areas including shopping centres, theme parks and stadiums.
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