Who wants to join? Visitors' willingness to participate in beach litter clean-ups in Nigeria

Abstract

Public involvement in beach litter clean-ups can help tackle marine litter while providing experiential learning, raising awareness and stimulating anti-litter behaviour. Beach visitors contribute to litter generation by inappropriate discarding behaviour, and engaging them in litter removal can be beneficial. This study assessed visitors’ (N = 512) stated willingness to participate in litter clean-ups at Elegushi Royal Beach, Nigeria, which is under pressure from litter problems visitors contribute to, and potentially emblematic of organised litter clean-ups. Beach visitors recognised marine litter as a global and national problem but did not perceive the case study beach as being littered. Willingness to participate in beach litter clean-ups was marginal. However, it was positively correlated with previous participation in litter clean-ups, perceived collective responsibility and the importance of policy and investments in reducing litter. These results were used to propose a framework to engage and recruit visitors in beach litter removal campaigns.

TSC Opinion

Ceci est un avis TSC