Jason Manford angry at theatregoers leaving litter

Jason Manford says leaving litter is "unbelievable" and "you wouldn't treat your home like that"

Comedian and stage star Jason Manford has called it "shocking" audiences leave rubbish on theatre floors after a show, asking: "Why do people do this?"

He is starring in Jack and the Beanstalk, at Manchester Opera House, and filmed the popcorn, plastic cups and empty packets left among the seats.

"Look at it. I even tidy up after the cinema. Unbelievable - you wouldn't treat your home like that," he said.

"Pick up your stuff at the end. That's what I do."

Manford said he used to work front of house at a cinema and suggested people could just find a bin at the end. "Just a thought," he added with a smile.

Replying to Manford on X, formerly known as Twitter, one user said: "Theatres should remind people that they must remove their litter at the end of the show.

"My local theatre has staff standing with binbags - and most of the audience pick up their litter and clean up."

Another X user blamed "laziness" for people leaving food and wrappers on the floor.

And a third said: "Honestly, this riles me. I feel like recently there's been a huge decline in manners and general etiquette at cinemas and theatres - and I don't just mean litter either."

Music festivals such as Glastonbury employ hundreds of volunteers to return the sites to their natural beauty.

Glastonbury employs teams to clean up the festival site

Venues such as theatres and cinemas also provide staff to pick up litter after audiences leave - but the company Waste Management Resources suggests if food is left behind, they should consider whether their portion sizes are too big.

It also suggests "providing litter bins and bins that offer separate compartments for recyclable items such as plastic bottles, paper cups and popcorn holders".

The UK Cinema Association told the BBC: "While we would encourage audience members to take any rubbish with them when they leave the auditorium and put it in the waste bin, everyone should be confident that staff will be on hand to pick up any litter, and make sure the screen is clean and tidy before the next show."

Environmental psychologist Lee Chambers told the BBC there were "so many different factors" influencing whether people drop litter.

He mentioned "access to receptacles, preparation for being able to remove litter, social cues from seeing other people's litter and how people perceive the space".

"If they see other people's litter, it makes people feel like they have a bit more permission to do it themselves".

Cinema and theatre floors start off clean before the show starts

Mr Chambers added that conversely, if people see someone else cleaning a space, they are more likely to do the same.

But he said "attitudes towards littering have changed", and it's seen as a "smaller issue than it once was".

"We've got big world problems, where we see massive conflicts, lots of crises, the climate... so a bit of litter - it's just a tiny thing for some people, but the accumulation of tiny things is massive."

He also spoke about cultural attitudes towards littering.

"There are major water companies pumping stuff into the sea and rivers, and fast fashion companies dumping stuff in other countries... we have businesses and organisations that influence the wider culture not setting the best example," he added.

Raising awareness

Littering had surged after lockdown, environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy said, in 2020, after the collection of rubbish and recycling had been disrupted in some areas by the pandemic.

"If you see a place that's full of litter and a mess, you're more likely to think that it doesn't matter," coaching psychologist Stephen Palmer, of the International Academy for Professional Development and University of Wales, told BBC Worklife.

In countries such as Japan, not dropping litter is part of their culture, with the World Economic Forum saying: "Most Japanese people will take their rubbish home with them rather than dispose of it when out and about."

But the UK won the inaugural litter-picking World Cup, in Tokyo, last month, which had participants from 21 countries.

It is aimed at raising awareness of environment protection, according to Euronews.

BBC News has contacted several anti-litter groups in Manchester for comment, along with UK Theatre.