As images of Japanese football fans meticulously cleaning up after themselves at the World Cup go viral, British officials are now calling for the same standards to be applied at home. The contrast could not be starker. Japanese supporters, renowned for their discipline, were seen picking up litter in the stands after matches, a stark contrast to the discarded pint glasses and wrappers left behind at English grounds.
From a fiscal perspective, the cost of cleaning after major events is not trivial. Local councils and stadium operators in the UK spend millions each year on post-match cleanup. Compare this to Japan where fan-driven initiatives have saved substantial sums. The question is: why can’t we adopt the same?
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has reportedly discussed encouraging a similar culture shift, but such changes require more than edicts. They require a realignment of social incentives. In Japan, the social cost of littering is high; it is seen as a collective failure. In the UK, it is often viewed as the council’s problem. This attitude is a classic market failure: the external cost of littering is borne by the taxpayer, not the individual.
Some may argue that British football culture is different, with its own traditions of rowdiness and alcohol consumption. But that is a poor excuse. The Treasury would welcome the reduction in public expenditure from reduced cleanup costs. More importantly, it would foster a sense of civic pride that has been eroded over decades.
It’s time for British officials to stop merely urging and start implementing. Perhaps a deposit scheme on pint glasses? Or a carbon tax on litter? The bottom line is that clean stadiums are not just an environmental issue; they are an economic one.
