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1 LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Click on the title of the section you would like to see Resources Reducing litter Tidying up Fighting the cause

2 November 2008 Dear friend, I wish I didn t have to ask you for your support for the Campaign to Protect Rural England s (CPRE) anti-litter campaign. That would mean that the English countryside that we all love and cherish wasn t trashed by litter and fly-tipping. Sadly, that s not the case at all. But I am excited to be doing something about it and feel very passionate about our Stop the Drop campaign. Here is our campaign toolkit, which I am delighted to say is sponsored by Keep Britain Tidy in conjunction with its Big Tidy Up campaign. It has been developed specifically with parish councils in mind. Many parish councils we ve spoken to are already doing great work to combat litter and fly-tipping. We hope you find the toolkit a source of new ideas and information on how to tackle the problem of litter and fly-tipping in your parish. Do contact your local CPRE group to see if you can work on this together - you can find their details at We hugely value your feedback, so please keep in touch as much as you can and let us know what you think about the campaign. You will also find this toolkit and a short film I have made on our website This is a very useful hub for anyone who wants to get involved, so please direct friends and colleagues to the site. I am personally heavily involved in the campaign: picking up litter, helping out on clean-up days, meeting the press and politicians and publicising the campaign at every juncture (including through a BBC Panorama programme, Notes on a Dirty Island, which was watched by over 4 million people). We hope to get as much awareness as possible as this might go some way to preventing the problem as well as trying to solve it. It s time that we all of us did something about this. A tidy countryside should be a right, not a surprise. It s possible. It s worth it. Please help us if you can. Many thanks and all best wishes, President Campaign to Protect Rural England

3 LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Use your powers Parish councils can fine people caught littering. If you are unsure whether this is something you could be doing, read our guidance in this pack. Organise a community get-together Public meetings are great for launching a campaign, generating media coverage or raising public awareness. Work in partnership Tell your district council or unitary authority where the problems are and work with them to stop fly-tipping. Do a Big Tidy Up Help make a difference in your parish by taking part in a Big Tidy Up. You ll find all the guidance you need in this pack, so get involved today by registering at and help get your parish cleaner and greener! Poster power Use our posters, or ask residents to design their own, to raise awareness. Making a difference in your parish Learn more Have a look at CPRE s website for information on litter and fly-tipping. And join the online litter picking community at Get writing Go plastic bag free Join the crusade and say no to plastic bags. Read the step-by-step guide in the Reducing litter section in this pack to see what can be done. Use your parish magazine or newsletter to inform people about litter and fly-tipping, and what they can do to stop it. Keep up-to-date Sign up for Bill Bryson s bi-monthly e-bulletin for more information on CPRE s Stop the Drop campaign. Go to make-a-difference.

4 LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Resource request form The following CPRE resources are available to you on request (subject to availability). Please enter the number of items you would like to be sent in the corresponding box: Postcards (blank on back) village scene Awareness poster A2 landscape scene Awareness poster A4 village scene Litteraction website promotion postcards Postcards (blank on back) landscape scene Litter pick event poster A2 village scene Litter pick event poster A4 village scene Litteraction promotional business cards High visibility vests ( M L XL please indicate the sizes and quantity you would like) To order a tidy up kit for your Big Tidy Up event, which includes refuse sacks, tabard bibs, posters, leaflets, badges and stickers, please visit Name Group/Parish I am/am not (please delete as appropriate) the litter contact for our group Address Telephone number address Please sign me up to receive Bill Bryson s campaign e-bulletin Please return this form to: Louise Cook, Stop the Drop, CPRE, 128 Southwark Street, London SE1 0SW, campaigns@cpre.org.uk, Other resources available The following can be bought from our online shop in association with the Natural Collection. Visit CPRE shopping bag A high quality, classic style, gusseted shopping bag in natural washable cotton canvas. Printed on one side with the CPRE logo and the slogan Support local foods. Price: UK delivery. CPRE re-use labels (to recycle used envelopes) Recycle used envelopes and packaging with gummed labels displaying the CPRE logo. Approximately 100 labels per pack, made from recycled paper. Price: UK delivery.

5 LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Feedback form We hope we ve helped you with your campaigning with this free toolkit. Now we hope you ll be able to help us with our campaigning! Simply fill in this form to let us know what you ve done, and whether this toolkit was useful. Please return this form to: Louise Cook, Stop the Drop, CPRE, 128 Southwark Street, London SE1 0SW, Before you received this toolkit what actions were you taking on litter? If you weren t taking any action, was this because you felt your area was clean; because you didn t know what to do; or for another reason? Since receiving the toolkit what things have you done? Have you taken part in a Big Tidy Up? If yes: How many people took part? Did you feed back your results on the Big Tidy Up website? If no: Please give your reasons.

6 Please tell us which parts of the toolkit you found most useful: (circle a number where relevant: 1 is not very useful, 5 is invaluable) Design of signs and litter bins didn t use Banish the bags in your parish didn t use Draft newsletter copy didn t use Posters didn t use Have a great Big Tidy Up didn t use Case studies didn t use Certificate didn t use The lowdown on litter didn t use Fixed penalty notices didn t use Fighting fly-tipping didn t use CPRE website didn t use Litteraction website didn t use Big Tidy Up website didn t use What other resources or information would you have found useful? Name Address Telephone number address Group/Parish Postcode Thank you!

7 LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Join our online litter pickers The website, is an online forum designed to bring together people who pick up litter. You can join an existing group, or if there is no group in your area, you can set up a new one. The site aims to promote and support local community action. We set up in response to the thousands of letters and s Bill Bryson has received since becoming CPRE s President. They have been sent in from volunteers all over England who pick up litter in their free time. We are working on this project with the charity CleanupUK. It supports the work of volunteer litter picking groups and individuals around the UK and encourages the formation of new groups. The site inspires people to work together with others in the local community to clean it up, making the area where they live a better place to be. As well as steering people towards their nearest litter picking group, the site also contains lots of other information and campaigning ideas. You can use the site to record how many bags of litter you ve collected. This will help us lobby those in central and local government and other relevant organisations to take action. You can promote this website to interested residents of your parish using postcards available from CPRE. Use the request form in this pack or contact Louise Cook: campaigns@cpre.org.uk, So log on to and feel inspired!

8 CERTIFICATE Parish Council and the Campaign to Protect Rural England would like to thank who took part in a litter pick and helped clean up the area around Your help is much appreciated and has made a real difference. On behalf of the parish council

9 PRET TY AWFUL Join our local clean-up event Clearing up litter costs us over 500 million each year and ruins the countryside. Help us Stop the Drop. Visit and take action. No countryside was spoilt in the making of this poster. CPRE, 128 Southwark St, London SE1 0SW. Registered Charity number

10 PRET TY AWFUL Clearing up litter costs us over 500 million each year and ruins the countryside. Help us Stop the Drop. Visit and take action. No countryside was spoilt in the making of this poster. CPRE, 128 Southwark St, London SE1 0SW. Registered Charity number

11 Reducing litter LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Use your parish council powers to improve the signs and bins in your area As a parish council you are probably aware that you have powers to provide litter bins and put up appropriate notices about litter, dog fouling and other related offences. Make the most of your bins You should regularly review the provision of litter bins to make sure they re in places where they re needed most, and that they re being used. If bins are dirty and smelly, people don t like using them. Young people are often obsessed by personal cleanliness and are especially put off using litter bins that appear unhygienic. (The same obsession can often lead them to drop litter as they don t want to carry around something dirty.) Some advice on signs It s important to have the right signs to inform the public about both litter and dog fouling offences, especially if you are using your powers to issue on-the-spot fines (see Nail the litter problem with fixed penalty notices in Fighting the cause). It must be obvious that it s an offence to drop litter and allow one s dog to foul. Signs must be practical and summarise the order. They should be put in visible positions on or near the land to which the order applies. The intention isn t to see whole areas of land plastered with signs, but to apply a common sense approach. In practice, this means placing signs at entry points to parks and open spaces or on a noticeboard. Where, for example, a dog control order has been made to cover the whole parish, it s never going to be practical to erect a notice at every point of entry into the parish. In this case, a more practical solution is to put up signs at different locations just near to or on the highway throughout your parish. Use existing posts or structures to minimise unnecessary clutter. When you re putting up signs to inform the public about litter or dog control orders, the language used should be clear and to the point. For example: Failing to clear up after your dog is punishable with a fine of up to 1,000 or a fixed penalty notice. Other suggested wording could be This is a punishable offence and you will be fined x. Instead of written signs, road warning style signs using clear symbols can be used and can be just as effective. Overleaf are some examples.

12 DO NOT DROP LITTER Please use the bins provided A parish council can order signs from a number of companies. However, before you put up any signs, you should make sure that you have permission to do so. If you plan to put up signs on a streetlight, ensure you have the permission of the relevant highway authority first. The same applies for the use of telegraph poles or any other structure which isn t owned by the parish council. Taking action on chewing gum litter and smoking related litter In the UK, more than 935 million packs of gum are chewed each year and over 200 million cigarette butts are thrown away every day. Chewing gum sales are on the increase and although many people dispose of gum correctly, lots of people drop it or spit it out on the streets. This is then extremely difficult and costly to remove and makes paved areas look very dirty. It costs about 3p to buy a piece of chewing gum but costs the local authority 10p for it to be removed from the street. In the UK, cigarettes account for over 40% of street litter and 122 tonnes of cigarette butts and related litter are dropped every day in the UK. While delivering clear public health benefits, the smoking ban in pubs and workplaces has increased cigarette litter on the streets. Enforcement Fining can be an effective way to stop people dropping gum. However it s difficult to catch a person in the act of dropping it. The issuing of a single, well-publicised fixed penalty notice can go a long way towards deterring potential gum droppers. For more information on issuing fixed penalty notices, see Nail the litter problem with fixed penalty notices in Fighting the cause. Smartstreets Cigarette butts and chewing gum are a major component of litter and require imaginative solutions. A number of companies produce bins of varying designs to help councils tackle the problem. Pictured, is an example produced by the company Smartstreets ( This small bin is designed for the disposal of both gum and butts. It can be fitted on a lamp-post or something similar.

13 Reducing litter LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Spread the word: write an article in your newsletter A number of parish councils have told us it would be helpful to have an example article for them to use in their local newsletters. We hope the following article will be helpful as a starting point for you. You can find a copy of it at campaign/litter-and-fly-tipping. Coming clean on litter Many people say the worst thing about the local environment is litter. And they re right to be concerned. The facts show that the amount of rubbish blighting our public spaces and countryside is growing all the time. Here at <name of parish> Parish Council we are doing our best to keep your parish clean and tidy. But your help in this campaign is vital! It costs local authorities more than half a billion pounds each year to clear up litter. There has been a five-fold increase in the litter dropped in the UK since the 1960s, and an estimated 25 million tonnes is dropped each year. This is almost entirely made up of food and drink packaging and is as heavy as 62,500 jumbo jets. In 2007 over 69,000 animals were killed or injured by litter in Britain. Every weekend, 1.3 million pieces of rubbish are dropped on motorways and major trunk roads across England. Over a year, this adds up to an incredible 67.6 million pieces of rubbish, with a third of drivers admitting to throwing litter while on the road. The costly problem of fly-tipping Illegally depositing waste on land is commonly known as fly-tipping from anything as small as a single bin bag upwards. It s a form of anti-social behaviour that is spoiling our local environment and reducing civic pride. It can also lead to serious pollution of the environment and endanger human health. Local authorities estimated that the cost of clearing illegally dumped waste in 2006/07 was 73.7 million. Culprits can be punished On-the-spot fines of 75 can be issued for littering. If you see fly-tipping or littering occurring, take down all the information you can, (including the car registration, make and model details if a vehicle is involved) and report it immediately to the local police and/or your local authority. The tidiness of all motorways and major trunk roads is the responsibility of the Highways Agency. Complaints about litter or fly-tipping can be made to the Highways Agency Information Line on If you see a driver throwing litter out of a car window, record the number plate and call the local police.

14 Responsibility for keeping England s railways clean is split between Network Rail and the train operating companies. Network Rail manages all railway land in urban areas, land between the tracks and up to 100 metres from the end of the platform, and 17 key railway stations (see footnote for list). To report litter around any of these stations call Network Rail s National Helpline on The remaining 2,500 stations including <name of station> in/near our parish are managed by the train operating companies, who should be contacted directly or speak to your guard or station staff at your destination. Hazardous waste The Environment Agency is responsible for policing large-scale incidents of fly-tipping (more than a lorry load), hazardous waste in drums, and waste dumped in a way that can cause human health problems or serious harm to the environment. Incidents can be reported 24 hours a day to the Environment Agency s incident hotline on The Environment Agency also investigates unregistered waste carriers and brokers. It s your responsibility to ensure that waste from your property only goes to authorised waste disposal companies. If the carrier is unauthorised and caught (or your dumped waste is found and traced), you are liable to a 5,000 fine and clean-up costs. You can check whether your tradesman or skip hire is a registered waste carrier by calling the Environment Agency s general enquiries on Litter attracts more litter, so the problem just becomes worse. Please do your bit to help <name of parish> Parish Council in the fight against litter and fly-tipping. To find out more, visit List of stations managed by Network Rail: Birmingham New Street; Edinburgh Waverley; Gatwick; Glasgow Central; Leeds; Liverpool Lime Street; London Bridge; London Cannon Street; London Charing Cross; London Euston; London Fenchurch Street; London King s Cross; London Liverpool Street; London Paddington; London Victoria; London Waterloo; and Manchester Piccadilly.

15 Reducing litter LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Help to banish the bags in your parish On average, a person will use 300 plastic bags a year. Typically, each bag is used for only 12 minutes before it s thrown away. Plastic bags are only one element of the litter problem, but they are a significant and highly visible one. They re also dangerous to wildlife. Action is needed to reduce the number of plastic bags which are distributed. In practice, this means that supermarkets and other retailers should stop giving out so many bags free of charge. CPRE therefore welcomed the Government s announcement in the 2008 Budget that, if retailers don t voluntarily take action to reduce consumption of single-use plastic bags, it would legislate by 2009 imposing a charge for their use. We hope that this will mark the beginning of a journey towards a cleaner countryside. However, neither voluntary measures by retailers nor legislation are likely to lead to a total ban on plastic bags. So if you want to do something more radical, then read on! The end of plastic bags started in one little town 2007 was a remarkable year for a small town in Devon. It was the year Modbury went plastic bag free. Modbury s 43 shop-keepers and traders made European history when they banished the plastic bag from their shops. The news reached far beyond the West Country and was followed by a surge of support and interest from cities, towns and villages across the country wanting to follow Modbury s example. Images from the film Happy Feet, of an entangled penguin caught in plastic and floating in the Pacific Ocean, have helped to visualise the impact plastic waste has on people, the environment and wildlife. Plastic accounts for 90% of waste in the oceans and plastic bags are the most commonly spotted item. Some figures show that as many as 100,000 birds, whales, seals and turtles die as a consequence of plastic waste every year (often as a result of eating it). The plastic survives the decomposition of the animal, and is then released back into the environment. Ultimately, plastic bags don t biodegrade, they photodegrade, which means they break down into smaller bits which contaminate the soil, waterways and oceans. They then enter the food chain when eaten by animals. So, how can you banish the bag from your parish? Follow the steps overleaf!

16 How to go plastic bag free 1. Learn about the effect plastics have on the environment. Find out about more environmentallyfriendly bags that local traders could use and what they could be made from. This is essential and will strengthen your position for the next steps. Take a look at 2. Determine the level of support from traders and the community at large for a ban on plastic bags in your community. Arrange a meeting with the chamber of commerce to put your idea to it and ask for its support. Visit each trader to chat to them about your idea. Good research will help you answer his/her questions. 3. Once you have signed up your local traders to your campaign try to measure the number of plastic bags littering the area and agree to a target for reducing this. 4. Organise a mass meeting for local traders and residents. Bring along any visual guides and information so that the people understand what plastic bags are doing to our environment. Have alternative bag samples with you so people can have a look at them and decide which one they prefer. Ideas include reusable jute bags, bags made from recycled material, or biodegradable cornstarch bags. 5. Until you have got a full ban on plastic bags, set a target to reduce the overall environmental impact by, say 25% for the following year. Review experiences by the end of the year and decide on the next steps to take until all plastic bags are banned. You could also encourage your local traders to go plastic bag free for 2-4 weeks a year. Positive results from this may lead to an eventual ban. Another idea is for shops to have at least one till as a green till, where plastic bags are not available but reusable bags are sold. 6. When all traders have agreed to come on board, it s time to set a date for the changeover! Ask your chamber of commerce to send out a letter, stating that from the set date no further plastic bags will be issued. 7. Organise regular meetings until the changeover date for traders, to maintain interest in the campaign. 8. After the changeover date, continue your group meetings to monitor the campaign and come up with other ideas! Good luck! What next? Once you have banished plastic bags from your town, look at other common sources of litter, such as that coming from fast food restaurants and take-aways. A CPRE district group in North Yorkshire is campaigning against the use of polystyrene containers by the chippies in Skipton. Its campaign activity involves eating fish and chips the traditional way out of newspaper with a greaseproof paper lining. Meanwhile, CPRE is urging the Government to consider introducing bottle deposit schemes which could go a long way to preventing another common source of litter, the plastic bottle.

17 Tidying up LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Organise a great Big Tidy Up! Litter is a growing problem. Last year alone, an estimated 25 million tonnes were dropped in Britain, and the problem affects countryside and urban areas alike. This amount of litter is an eyesore that spoils the environment. It s also a hazard to pets and wild animals killing or injuring over 69,000 animals in Britain in In September 2008, Keep Britain Tidy launched England s first Big Tidy Up the country s biggest clean up. It encourages as many members of the public as possible to carry out a litter pick in their local area and help tidy up our country. Litter picks can take place at any time throughout the year. All you need to do is log on to to register. Keep Britain Tidy will then send you a kit containing everything you need to spruce up your parish, including tabards, refuse sacks, a guide, posters, badges and stickers. Register today and help make your parish a cleaner, greener place to live! With the help of Keep Britain Tidy, we ve put together some handy tips for running a litter pick in your parish: 1. Planning a Big Tidy Up decide where you would like to do your litter pick. This could be anywhere from a local landmark to a well known grot spot ; get permission from the landowner. If you are litter picking on land owned by the local authority it s important that you seek such permission well in advance as the process for approval may take some time; think about what to do with the waste once it has been collected. Usually your local authority will help by collecting the rubbish or providing a skip; think about turning your litter pick into a sponsored challenge, having a theme or even enlisting the help of a local celebrity; and give your volunteers all the relevant information (such as dress code ) before the litter pick.

18 2. Publicising your tidy up One of the most important ways to ensure your tidy up is a success is to attract the support and involvement of the local media. Use the poster in this pack or in the Big Tidy Up pack to publicise your event and call for volunteers. contact the news desk of your local paper or radio station at least one week before the litter pick and invite a reporter along. It s also a good idea to contact them the day before as a reminder; think about the best timing for your event. Photo shoots in the morning are preferable so deadlines can be met for evening newspapers or broadcasts; if your event has an interesting angle it will be particularly appealing to the media; if you would like to get children involved, contact the local schools or uniformed groups. has more information on working with children; and contact your local Community Volunteer Service who can help find volunteers and offer advice. 3. Equipment and further help you will need a supply of rubbish sacks (some are provided in the Big Tidy Up kit). It may also be helpful to buy string and sticky tape to seal them; the cleansing or environmental health department of your local authority should be able to offer support by providing litter picking gadgets, refuse sacks and gloves. They may even be able to provide a skip; equipment could also include litterpickers, wheelbarrows, rakes and shovels. If your local authority can t provide litterpickers, has a useful organisations section which will direct you to companies that will offer a discount on litterpickers if you mention the Big Tidy Up; have safe containers for collecting broken glass, sharp metal etc. if you are removing this type of litter; provide a first aid kit and antibacterial wipes and let your volunteers know who is the first-aider; arrange specialist help for removal of abandoned cars or heavy objects; make a list of useful equipment and work out who will provide what. It s recommended that you purchase heavy duty work gloves for your litter pick; and target local companies which may be able to support your litter pick by providing materials, services or a donation. For example, fast food restaurants may be able to supply refreshments and supermarkets might donate bin bags.

19 Organise a great Big Tidy Up! (continued) 4. Health & safety Visit the site and complete a risk assessment before the litter pick. When assessing the risks, look for the following hazards: unidentified cans or canisters, oil drums, poisons, insecticides, clinical waste, other hazardous substances, broken glass, condoms, syringes; and deep or fast flowing water, currents or tides, steep, slippery or unstable banks, sharp rocks, mud holes, derelict buildings, busy roads, and electric fences. If the area carries too many risks you may want to choose another place to carry out your event. Hygiene To avoid illness from poor hygiene, all those taking part in the clean up must: wear heavy duty protective gloves at all times; cover any cuts, however minor, with surgical tape or a waterproof plaster; avoid rubbing the mouth and eyes whilst working; and wash hands and forearms before eating, drinking, smoking or going to the toilet. Heavy lifting lifting heavy items could be hazardous and volunteers should be discouraged from lifting large or heavy items; once large or heavy items have been identified consider whether it s practical for volunteers to remove them or if they should be removed by the local authority; if you decide the item can be lifted by volunteers this should be done at the end of the litter pick through a separate and co-ordinated effort; and it s good practice to tie rope to large objects or use a grappling hook if a large object needs to be lifted. Hazardous waste make sure everyone is aware of potentially dangerous items which they should not litter pick; if very large or dangerous items such as unidentified drums, cans or canisters of chemicals, poisons or insecticides are present contact the Environment Agency on ; and if syringes are spotted at any stage during your litter pick DO NOT TOUCH THEM! Make a note of their location and inform your local authority.

20 Other dangers giant hogweed (which resembles cow parsley and grows to 5-7m/15-20ft) can cause harm to people and animals. Take great care when working near this weed it should not be touched at any time. Seek immediate medical advice if skin comes into contact with the weed and irritation, rashes or blistering occur; and Weil s Disease (Leptospirosis) is a very rare infection carried in rats urine and can be fatal. Symptoms include high temperature, severe headache, flu-like illness or muscle pains. They will appear three to 19 days after exposure to contaminated water. It must be treated early. Insurance cover check you ve got public liability insurance, and that it covers litter picking (if it doesn t, arrange for a suitable extension). This is very important and strongly recommended for a litter pick; and if you are unable to obtain public liability insurance for your event, contact the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers as they can provide group insurance: , 5. Results keep a note of the number of bags of rubbish collected and log this on record your progress by taking photographs before, during and after your litter pick; if you have previously let the media know about your tidy up, then this is a great opportunity for a follow-up story or photo; recycle as much of the litter you ve collected as possible. Contact the recycling officer at your local council for advice on whether recyclables should be collected separately and where they should be taken; if you want to, give out certificates or prizes! We ve enclosed a sample certificate in this toolkit which has space to add a photo; and there s a lot of fun to be had and it s a great chance for residents to get to know each other. Further information If you discover fly-tipping refer to our chart in Fighting the cause to see who to report it to. There are lots more helpful hints and tips at You might also find helpful. Developed by CPRE and CleanupUK, it s an online forum helping to bring together litter pickers. See the sheet in the resources section of this pack for more details.

21 Tidying up LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Case studies Madeley Parish Council s spring cleaning Pat McCarthy is known by the children of Madeley, near Telford, as the Litter Man. In his role as Project Officer for Madeley Parish Council he has organised Spring Clean litter picking days for ten years. Here are some of the ways he has made these annual events so successful. Start them young Pat works with the local teachers. Litter and the Spring Clean are included on the syllabus in all the primary and secondary schools in the area. In the run-up to the litter picking event he gives out leaflets and talks to the children in assembly. He tells the stories of Mrs Dunn, the wheelchair user who found her way to the shops blocked by rubbish dumped on the footpath; and of Sam the border collie who choked to death on a plastic bottle top. This helps children understand the possible consequences of dropping litter. Every school child will do a litter pick at least once, and this should help create the awareness that is needed to stop them dropping litter themselves. Include everyone Each year up to 900 people are involved out of a population of 18,000. Church groups, youth groups and people from across the community come together in the Easter holidays. Make a noticeable difference Pat always identifies an area of Madeley that needs cleaning up. Those involved know what they are doing is really worthwhile and not just a stunt. Reward hard work After the event, prizes such as badges and T-shirts are awarded to those who collected the most litter. Every group involved receives a certificate personalised with their own photograph which they can display on their noticeboards. Something a little different One year Pat organised a theatre company to create some drama. We had a couple playing roles like Wayne and Waynetta Slob from the Harry Enfield show, he explained. They arrived in a van while the children were litter picking and attempted to fly-tip, asking the children for help. The children s reactions were good most refused to help and thought what the Slobs were doing was awful. We filmed the whole event to show in the school assembly.

22 Tidying up LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Case studies Wool Parish Council s litter warden Wool Parish, in Dorset, includes the villages Wool, East Burton and Bovington, and has a population of 4,000 people. The idea to set up a litter warden scheme came to them around seven years ago when they did a parish appraisal and held an open day. Employing people to pick up litter A litter warden is employed to pick litter for 12 hours per week and paid 6 per hour. Their route is entirely up to them as long as the villages of Wool and East Burton are covered in the week. The full litter bags are collected daily at an arranged point by the district council waste contractors. The parish council recently employed another warden to cover the rural road between Bovington and Wool and is considering employing a third to cover Bovington village. It s simple and not costly They ve found the scheme a simple one to run, and have been able to put up their precept (the money they raise from local taxpayers) to cover the costs. They ve also been fortunate that the district council s waste contractors, SITA, contributed to the cost of setting up the scheme. The parish council provides boots, high visibility jackets, gloves, litterpickers, dust pan and brushes and a litter cart, and the litter warden is covered by the parish s public liability insurance which covers all its employees. Nickie Johnson, the parish clerk, doesn t hesitate in recommending that other parish councils set up similar schemes as they can ensure litter is cleared without relying on volunteer help on clean-up days. She said, parish councils are in quite an enviable position in that they can put up their precept to cover these things. A small village would probably only need six hours a week, which might cost about 1,500 a year.

23 Fighting the cause LITTER & FLY -TIPPING The lowdown on litter and fly-tipping For many people, litter is the most important issue on the local environmental agenda, and rightly so. Figures show that it s a growing problem. But, what is litter and fly-tipping, and who is responsible for clearing it up? What can your parish do to help influence and improve your local environment? What is litter and fly-tipping? There is no size limit to what constitutes litter. It can be as small as a sweet wrapper, as large as a bag of rubbish, or it can mean lots of items scattered about. It s an offence to drop or otherwise leave litter in open-air places, including private land and land covered by water. Fly-tipping, on the other hand, is a term commonly used to describe illegal disposal of waste. It can be described as disposal without a waste management licence, or in a manner likely to cause environmental pollution or harm to human health. It can vary in scale from a bag of rubbish to large quantities dumped by vans. According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), 2.6 million incidences of fly-tipping occurred in England in Litter and fly-tipping are an eyesore, they pollute the environment and are a hazard to domestic animals and wildlife. So, who is responsible for removing them? Local authorities and litter Their responsibilities Local authorities are responsible for all public land and roads within their boundaries, apart from roads for which the Highways Agency is responsible. This includes all land to which the public have access, with or without paying. For the Highways Agency and other duty bodies areas of responsibility, see the Who s responsible for what sheet in this section.

24 The four cleanliness grades ENCAMS Grade A No litter Grade B Predominantly free of litter, apart from some small items Grade C Widespread distribution of litter with minor accumulations Grade D Heavily affected by litter with significant accumulations Grading systems have been developed to guide local authorities and other duty bodies in their work. There are four grades of cleanliness. These correspond to the levels of street cleanliness for litter. The grade A level of cleanliness is difficult to maintain at all times so grade B is usually regarded as acceptable by the public for short periods of time. Grade C or D are unacceptable. Local authorities are legally obliged to ensure that the cleanliness of public land and roads doesn t fall below grade B. However, the intensity, speed of littering, and removal of it, depend on other factors, particularly how often areas are used. The table on the next page sets out the different land categories and response times for clearing them of litter.

25 The lowdown on litter and fly-tipping (continued) High intensity of use Medium intensity of use LEVEL OF INTENSITY Low intensity of use Special circumstances Description of use Busy public areas which are prone to fluctuations in litter. These areas require both a high level of monitoring and frequent clearing. Everyday areas which are less prone to fluctuations in litter. Usually situated outside areas of retail or commercial activity, but used regularly by members of the public. Lightly used areas which are less prone to fluctuations in litter. Rural areas are usually categorised as low intensity, except for certain hotspots. Areas where issues of health and safety and practicability are dominant considerations when undertaking environmental maintenance work. Response time for clearing litter, if standards are not met and problems are reported 1/2 day 1 day 14 days 28 days Their powers Local authorities are required to categorise their land in line with the framework above and make this information publicly available. It s illegal to drop and leave litter on land managed by local authorities. Anyone found guilty of littering can be fined up to 2,500 or presented with a fixed penalty notice (usually between 50 and 80). Parish councils also have the power to take enforcement action against those who commit a litter offence; see Nail the litter problem with fixed penalty notices later in this section. Local authorities can hand out a litter abatement notice when another organisation fails to keep its land clear of litter. It s an offence to fail to comply with a litter abatement notice. Failure to comply is punishable by a 2,500 fine plus an extra 125 for every day the offence continues. Parish councils should consult with the local authority if they need to seek a litter abatement notice. Local authorities have the power to prevent littering outside their and other organisations areas of responsibility. Occupiers or owners of land can be served with a litter clearing notice by a local authority representative, forcing them to clear up their land, possibly to a standard specified by the authority. If this isn t achieved, the local authority can enter the land and clear it to this standard and recover the cost of doing so. Again, a parish council should consult with the local authority if it needs to seek a litter clearing notice. Businesses can be required to clear litter up to 100 metres from their property and take measures to prevent future littering through a street litter control notice. A notice can apply not only to food and drink packaging from fast food outlets and shops, but also to banks, restaurants, pubs and clubs and even vehicles, stalls and other moveable structures. There s no restriction on the type of litter for which a street litter control notice can be used. A parish council should consult its local authority and ask it to investigate and seek a street litter control notice.

26 What action you can take As a parish council: If it s deemed that there s a problem with litter in the parish and there is support from the local authority and residents, then a parish council can take enforcement action against people who litter, graffiti and fly-post. Public education also has an important part to play. Talking about the problems, putting up posters or placing articles in newspapers can all be effective in changing the way that people behave. Most importantly there s the need for dialogue and partnership between the parish council and its local authority. As an individual: One of the major problems with litter and fly-tipping is that they are often not cleaned up in the manner required by the law. As an individual, you can take action against organisations that don t comply with their duty to keep land clear of litter or clear it to the correct standard. If, after making a formal complaint, you are still unsatisfied, you can apply for a litter abatement order. A guide to applying for a litter abatement order can be found on Local authorities and fly-tipping Their responsibilities Local authorities deal primarily with small, localised incidents of fly-tipping (see Who s responsible for what on the next page). The Environment Agency focuses its efforts on dealing with larger, more serious incidents. Local authorities can investigate and take enforcement action against: fly-tipping of waste up to and including a single tipper truck load of waste deposited at one time; accumulations of waste from several small-scale fly-tipping incidents; householders abandoning or dumping waste; waste management operations that don t have the appropriate planning consent; waste producers not ensuring their waste is disposed of correctly; waste producers who illegally dump or abandon their waste; and unregistered waste carriers and brokers. Local authorities should remove, investigate and take appropriate enforcement action with regard to: illegal dumping and fly-tipping of waste on public land including a road or other public highway; illegally dumped or abandoned hazardous waste other than that which the Environment Agency deals with; and fly-tipped waste (including animal carcasses or remains) on private land or in watercourses that s harming the local area or could cause flooding because it s blocking the flow of water. Their powers Where fly-tipping on private land has a harmful effect on the environment, local authorities are encouraged to take steps to ensure that the waste is removed, appropriate enforcement action taken, and costs recovered wherever possible. Local authorities have the power to stop, search and seize vehicles suspected of being used to fly-tip waste. Fly-tipping can incur substantially higher clean-up costs than littering, and because of potential links to organised crime, offenders may be punished by imprisonment or unlimited fines. A parish council has no enforcement powers available to tackle incidents of fly-tipping. Some ideas on how you can reduce fly-tipping and support your local authority s efforts in catching those responsible are included in Fighting fly-tipping later in this section. But remember action and enforcement are the key to making progress against litter and fly-tipping. You need to make sure that your local authority is aware of the problems, and is taking the required action.

27 Fighting the cause Who s responsible for what LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Organisation Responsible for Who to contact Local authorities (district councils, county councils, unitary authorities and London boroughs) Highways Agency Network Rail Environment Agency National Trust Forestry Commission National Park Authorities All public land and roads within their boundary (except for roads for which the Highways Agency is responsible see below). The tidiness of all motorways and major trunk roads. These are listed on the Highways Agency s network map. Visit search for road network map and click on the second search result. All land between the tracks, as well as up to 100 metres from the end of the platform. Responsible for all railway land in urban areas. Seventeen key railway stations: (Birmingham New Street; Edinburgh Waverley; Gatwick; Glasgow Central; Leeds; Liverpool Lime Street; London Bridge; London Cannon Street; London Charing Cross; London Euston; London Fenchurch Street; London King s Cross; London Liverpool Street; London Paddington; London Victoria; London Waterloo; and Manchester Piccadilly). The remaining 2,500 stations are managed by the train operating companies. Large-scale incidents of fly-tipping (more than a lorry load), hazardous waste in drums, and waste dumped in a way that is a threat to human health or to the environment. Land and property the Trust owns and maintains. Land managed by Forest Enterprise England. All land falling within National Park boundaries. This depends on each authority. To find your litter authority go to campaigns/stop-the-drop. Complaints about litter or fly-tipping can be made to the Highways Agency Information Line If you see a driver throwing litter out of a car window, make a note of the number plate and call the local police. The police can issue a fine of 75 or more. Please call the National Rail Helpline if you have complaints about the level of litter on the stations managed by Network Rail. Contact the train operating companies for the remaining 2,500 stations. Incidents can be reported to the Environment Agency 24 hours a day on It also investigates unregistered waste carriers and brokers. To ensure your tradesman or skip hire is a registered waste carrier, call its general enquiries line Litter problems should be reported to National Trust regional offices or its head office Please contact the relevant Forest District Office to report litter problems. For contact information visit search for district office details and click on the Local Offices link. Please contact the appropriate National Park Authority if you have complaints or concerns. See for further details.

28 Fighting the cause LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Nail the litter problem with fixed penalty notices You can attack the root cause of your litter problem using fixed penalty notices. Deterring people from dropping it, rather than just continually cleaning up after them, is the best way to keep litter down, and fixed penalty notices can help to achieve this. Where on any occasion an authorised officer of a litter authority finds a person who he has reason to believe has on that occasion committed an offence under section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in the area of that authority, he may give that person a notice offering him the opportunity of discharging any liability to conviction for that offence by payment of a fixed penalty. Paragraph 1, section 88 Environmental Protection Act 1990 The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 extended the power to issue fixed penalty notices to parish councils. Fixed penalty notices can be used in cases of littering, graffiti and flyposting, and the breaking of dog control orders. Should your parish council be using this power? The ability to issue fixed penalty notices is a power, not a duty. It s one more tool you can use in the fight against litter. In deciding whether your parish council should use this power you will need to consider the following: is there a lot of litter in your village and surrounding area? is litter high on the list of priorities for your residents? is your local authority using its powers to issue fixed penalty notices? is there support among residents for you to use this tool to combat litter? Although the costs of running an enforcement scheme might be quite high, you do get to keep money raised from fines to help cover the costs of the scheme. Quality Parish Councils can use income from fines on anything, and you may like to use it on other environmental projects which will gain public support. The biggest expense will be employing an enforcement officer but there are ways you can save funds: give an existing member of staff (e.g. a street cleaner) the job of enforcement officer; share an enforcement officer with a neighbouring parish or with the local authority; use volunteers; or use your Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) as your enforcement officer. The PCSO may already issue these notices in your area. If not, talk to your Chief Police Officer about contributing to the cost of the PCSO to do this. One unavoidable expense is the compulsory training for new enforcement officers. A PCSO doesn t need this training.