Cigarette-related litter, fast-food and chewing gum: litter levels in England have barely improved over the last 12 years, hitting the tax-payer with an annual bill of as much as £850m in clean-up costs. So said the Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee in a report on litter and fly-tipping published in March. Chewing gum and cigarettes were found to be the most littered items, while fast-food litter increased by 20 per cent in the last year. The committee of MPs said that change is needed and that individuals, Government, and tobacco, chewing gum, and fast food industries must now act to tackle the nation’s litter problem.
Clive Betts MP, Chair of the Communities and Local Government Committee, said: “Litter is a blight on many of our communities and the public are rightly disgusted when they see discarded fast-food packaging, cigarettes, and chewing gum strewn across our streets. Litter levels have remained largely static over the last 12 years, with councils spending hundreds of millions of pounds of tax-payers’ money fighting a losing battle. Government and industry need to get together to tackle the endemic litter problem. Handing a portion of tobacco levies to local councils to help pay for the cost of clearing cigarette litter would show Government is serious about getting tough on litter.”
The CLG committee called on the tobacco industry to provide free at the point of sale, portable ashtrays for the disposal of cigarette-related litter. Government must play a role too by ensuring all public buildings fit ashtrays in areas where staff congregate to smoke, so that smokers can dispose of their litter properly. Councils should not rule out working with the tobacco industry to reduce cigarette-related litter but this should not be taken as an endorsement of smoking nor should cigarette companies use it to promote smoking.
The MPs voiced concern about the increase in fast-food litter which is often dropped over a wider area. The MPs recommended that the next Government introduce an obligation requiring all shops, restaurants and retail food outlets to keep the perimeters of their premises free from litter. The committee called on the fast-food industry to introduce ‘on-pack’ information on all branded take-away and fast-food packaging to remind consumers to dispose of litter responsibly.
Chewing gum and the resultant staining are a difficult and costly to remove. Having given serious consideration to a chewing gum tax, the committee warned the industry that it now has one last chance to put its house in order and make a greater efforts to reducing chewing gum litter by making a greater contribution to the cost of clearing gum and staining and by placing larger anti-littering notices on all its packaging, wrappers and adverts. The Committee said that an increase in the Fixed Penalty Notice for litter would act as a greater deterrent and help defray more of the costs of clearing litter. It called on the Government to collect the data and properly assess whether the fine should be increased from its current £80 maximum.
Fly-tipping
The Committee found that levels of fly-tipping were increasing, up by 20 per cent in the last year, with 852,000 reported incidents but only 2000 convictions in the courts. The committee recommended that Government introduce a Fixed Penalty Notice for fly-tipping for household items—the bulk of the incidents—and calls on industry to introduce a scheme to take away unwanted household appliances and furniture when replacements are delivered. The committee also recommended councils do more to forge partnerships with charities who are willing to collect such items free of charge.
Whether it’s unwanted sofas, mattresses, building rubble or other waste (pictured is a dumped roadside bed in a South Derbyshire lane, soon picked up by the council), much fly-tipped material is dumped on roads. The committee found a lack of co-ordination on cleaning roads between councils and the Highways Agency and therefore recommends the Highways Agency, and Transport for London in London, take on responsibilities for clearing fly-tipping and litter from all purpose trunk roads.
Clive Betts said: “It’s hard to deny England is a litter-ridden country compared to most of Europe, North America and Japan. While Government and industry must play their part, in the end it is individuals who litter and fly-tip their unwanted goods, and it is their behaviour which needs to change. The Government should consider increasing the Fixed Penalty Notice for littering so that litter louts are hit in the pocket if they are caught dropping rubbish.”
The committee found the current division of responsibility between Defra and the Department for Communities and Local Government is often unhelpful, with little leadership or co-ordination of the excellent work of authorities and volunteers. The Committee recommends the Government launch a national litter strategy for England, with a clear framework for action, underpinned with a co-ordinating role for local councils within their respective areas.
The Government’s recent community clean-up day should become an annual event, added the committee.
For the full report visit – http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmselect/cmcomloc/607/60702.html
Comment
Keep Britain Tidy chief executive Phil Barton said: ‘There are many organisations working to tackle litter – charities, community organisations, local authorities, businesses – but what is lacking is leadership and funding.
‘Only the Government can give this leadership and bring all the parties together in a co-ordinated way.
‘We are delighted that the select committee has recognised this and we hope that the next Government will heed this call and introduce a national strategy that will give everyone a framework within which to work.
‘No single organisation can deal with the blight of litter alone. We need all sectors of society to work together to bring about the behaviour change that will result in cleaner streets, parks and beaches. We have only scratched the surface when it comes to understanding the real cost of littering to our society and wholeheartedly support the committee’s call for more research into the wider impact of litter and for the need to sustain and extend our existing litter surveys for Government.
‘It is time for those in power to step up and take a lead. We know that people value and want to live in clean and tidy places. It is time for government to recognise this and take action.’
The campaign group meanwhile has launched its strategy for 2015-2020 that focuses on three goals – reducing litter, improving local places and preventing waste. Visit http://www.keepbritaintidy.org/2015-2020-strategy/.
