Driven by its vision for clean, safe public spaces across Wales, Keep Wales Tidy has been collecting data on litter and local environmental quality (LEQ) issues for nearly twenty years. Annual litter survey results are shared with local authorities to help prioritise cleansing and target prevention activities to create cleaner, greener communities. Importantly, the charity also uses this data internally and in collaboration with partners to help influence and inform environmental legislation in an evidence-led approach.

Keep Wales Tidy was challenged to update its well-established litter survey methodology to enable it to collect more granular data on litter. At the same time, it also wanted to broaden the scope of the surveys to include green spaces, parks, beaches, transport hubs and other public areas. As a charity with limited resources, it needed to ensure the efficiency of the new survey approach and consider the practicality of delivery.

Over the course of a year, Keep Wales Tidy created a new litter survey methodology, named Geospatial Litter Analysis (or GLÂN). Informed by the charity’s vast experience of surveying on the ground, the new system was designed to utilise Esri’s geographic information system (GIS) technology, ArcGIS.

The charity started by using ArcGIS Pro and Ordnance Survey’s National Geographic Database to identify 80,000+ publicly accessible areas where surveys could take place across various land types and uses. Next, it used multiple criteria to filter locations in ArcGIS Online to identify 5,464 sites to survey – a statistically significant sample across Wales. Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) were plotted in ArcGIS Pro alongside the sample to aid a spatially targeted approach that was geographically representative across every local authority. Each year, 20% of these LSOAs will be covered, meaning that 100% coverage will be achieved in five years.

Next, the charity overhauled the survey form, redesigning it with ArcGIS Survey123 to allow more data to be collected with more consistency. In addition, ArcGIS Field Maps and ArcGIS Survey123 apps are used to capture detailed information on litter in the field – everything from food and drinks packaging to dog fouling.The form automatically generates litter scores for cleanliness, aligned to statutory guidance, to enable accurate comparisons between areas.

Data collected is instantly uploaded to ArcGIS Online and viewable in an internal operations dashboard, created using ArcGIS Dashboards. This application enables staff to monitor survey progress on their desktops or mobile devices, while sharing survey locations to improve staff safety.

Keep Wales Tidy is currently developing further data visualisation tools using ArcGIS Experience Builder, which will be used to share survey results through publicly accessible platforms. The goal is to provide clear, accessible information about litter trends in Wales, while supporting local authorities, environmental organisations and policymakers with the evidence they need to drive positive change.

Approximately 66 days of time saved
The new ArcGIS-driven survey approach has removed many time-consuming administration tasks, with an estimated saving of 1-3 days on planning and quality assurance for each of the 22 local authorities in Wales. The more streamlined process has increased efficiency and decreased human error at the desk and in the field.
 
73% more litter surveys conducted
Thanks to the time savings achieved by the new survey process, Keep Wales Tidy has increased the number of sites surveyed annually from approximately 3,000 to more than 5,000, without additional surveyors. “As with many charities, we work in a small team with limited resources,” says Joe Marshall-Mills, GIS and Data Officer at Keep Wales Tidy. “ArcGIS takes the pressure off us and frees up our time to focus on what’s important – collecting data on the ground.”

Better evidence to drive policy change
With ArcGIS, Keep Wales Tidy is collecting useful and robust litter data that can be used as evidence to influence policy change. For example, the data will prove pivotal in the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for litter, a proposed initiative whereby producers will pay towards the cleansing of the litter their packaging generates. “ArcGIS is allowing us to efficiently collect and analyse data that we and other organisations need to influence policy and legislation to help keep our environment clean,” says Angharad James, Policy and Research Officer at Keep Wales Tidy.

Granular detail for monitoring policy impacts
The ArcGIS Survey123 form allows surveyors to collect data about specific types of litter in far more detail, which can be used to monitor the impact of environmental policy. For instance, the form distinguishes between various types of vape litter, enabling researchers to monitor the impact of the recent single-use vape ban, while monitoring any unintended consequences from existing or new legislation.

Targeted action to clean up public spaces
When the charity’s new public data visualisation tools go live, local authorities and other stakeholders will be able to access near-live data during the survey period and use it to plan and prioritise cleansing activities in the right places. “Keep Wales Tidy has been fighting for cleaner community and public spaces ever since it was founded over 50 years ago,” says James. “This world-leading process is a fantastic step forward to creating action for a cleaner environment in Wales.”