Dear RedBull,
Thank you for prompting me to think about the psychological reasons for why people litter.
You see, when I'm out and about walking or running, I spy your discarded cans more than all the others put together.
(Note – I may be being unfair, but my selective perception and recency bias prompts my brain into thinking that Red Bull cans are littered way more than others.)
And it got me thinking about why people litter.
My former (judgemental, low-EQ, un-self-aware, what-the-f@ck-is-wrong-with-some-people) self, simply couldn't figure it out.
Finish the drink. Put it to one side. Take it home. And put it in the (preferably recycling) bin. What could be simpler?
My current (still judgemental, but at least somewhat more aware of it) self is a little bit more curious.
What else is going on here?
Bit of a sunglasses-at-night head-scratcher...
Perhaps the litterer has grown-up in an environment in which personal responsibility isn't valued and role-modelled, and the prevailing belief is that it is someone else's job to clean up after them?
Perhaps the litterer simply doesn't have or cannot get access to an appropriate receptacle?
Maybe they perceive it as socially acceptable…if everyone else does it, why shouldn't they?
Or perhaps it's just a habit based on lack of awareness and appreciation of the consequences of their actions on the natural world?
Maybe the anonymity of littering means they feel more comfortable engaging in it when they believe they won't be caught or held accountable?
Or maybe it's an act of rebellion or disconnection from "the system"…maybe they litter as an act of defiance against rules or authority, whether it's to challenge societal norms or express frustration with regulations?
Whatever the reasons, and based on my highly anecdotal and personal experience of seeing you again and again by the side of the road, I think, Red Bull, that you should add No-More-Littering, to your list of brand activations and social movements.
And I think you can do it...it would give me - and you - some sustainability wings to get excited about.
You've sent a man to space, you've taken our breath away with the Cliffdiving World Series and Wingsuit flyers, and perhaps most amazingly, you've shown that "taste" is not the be all and end all that received wisdom assumed it was.
So this should be easy for you!
Thanks again
Ned