CBSM Pilot at Natividad Creek Park: Litter Reduction Campaign

The City of Salinas had a serious litter problem and no idea how to encourage its predominantly Latino park-goers to use the trash cans. Changing people’s behaviors is tough, but coupled with language and cultural barriers it can seem near impossible. We took a classic Community-Based Social Marketing approach with a cultural twist. First, conduct barriers and benefits research by interviewing park-users in Spanish. Then get the whole community involved, and don’t forget the maintenance staff and local vendors! Make picking up trash fun by playing Litter Lotería, our clever adaptation of the classic Mexican Bingo game. Empower community members to actively participate and vote on their favorite anti-litter campaign that features real park-users. And hammer the message home with colorful, conspicuous banners that remind people not to “play dirty”. With a 52% litter reduction in the picnic area and 34% reduction in the playground area, the pilot was so successful that it has been replicated in various parks throughout Salinas.