Much loved 'Be A Tidy Kiwi' identity gets an update

New Zealand's much loved anti-littering character is undergoing a makeover and needs your input, the Auckland Litter Prevention Steering Group (ALPSG) said today.

“We're asking the public to take a short survey at www.beatidykiwi.nz to share their views about litter and being a tidy kiwi,” Richard Leckinger, ALPSG Programme Manager said.

The Auckland Litter Prevention Steering group was formed in 2013 to coordinate a regional inter-agency approach to the prevention of litter and illegal dumping. Part of this project is to revitalise Tidy Kiwi so that a new generation of New Zealanders can discover this iconic identity and come together to protect what we love. We're a collection of central and local government funders on a three year mission to Bring Tidy Kiwi back to life.

We began baseline litter survey work last year to enable before/after pilot testing of an updated brand. Kiwis are telling us that litter prevention is important to them. Auckland's mix of rural, suburban and urban settings make it an ideal place to pilot test.

“Our kiwi design team incorporated all the great ideas from last year's design competition, bringing us to our final three identities,” Mr Leckinger said.

“We are testing the designs in cinemas, schools, parks and via surveys.

“All three finalists will be extensively field tested before a new design is adopted, to make sure the new Tidy Kiwi is effective at changing behaviour, not just beautiful.

“Our preliminary baseline data shows that Auckland is as clean or cleaner than our Australian counterparts for which comparable data is available.

“However, our littering behaviour rate is significantly higher, so there is definitely room for improvement.

“We cannot expect Councils to keep picking up after us – it's incredibly expensive.

“An updated programme of education and enforcement – carrot and stick – is required to bring New Zealand's littering behaviour rate under control,” Mr Leckinger said.

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