Welcome. April Dear Colleague,

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1 Welcome LITTER & FLY-TIPPING April 2008 Dear Colleague, I wish I didn t have to ask you for your support with CPRE s flagship campaign this year. That would mean that the English countryside that we all love and cherish was not trashed by litter and fly-tipping. Sadly, that is not the case at all. But I am excited to be doing something about it and feel very passionate about the Stop the Drop campaign that we are launching this month. You will all be more than aware of my stance on litter, so our commitment to this issue will come as no surprise. Here is our Campaign toolkit, sponsored by one of those magnificent benefactors keen to support our cause. In it, you will find a wealth of interesting and critical pieces of information to support this campaign in your area. In the weeks and months ahead, we will continue to keep you up to date with campaigning activities and what you can do. 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 all this toolkit information and a short film I have made on the website at This is a very useful hub for anyone who wants to get involved, so please direct friends and colleagues to the site. I myself will be heavily involved from the start, picking up litter, helping out on Clean Up days, meeting the press and publicising the campaign at every juncture. This, we hope, will get as much awareness as possible and might go some way to preventing the problem as well as trying to solve it. It is 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. I hope to meet as many of you as I can on my journey around England spreading the message. Many thanks and all best wishes, Kind Regards, President Campaign to Protect Rural England REGISTERED OFFICE, 128 SOUTHWARK STREET, LONDON SE1 0SW T F E INFO@CPRE.ORG.UK W A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE, REGISTERED IN ENGLAND, NUMBER , REGISTERED CHARITY % RECYCLED PAPER

2 Welcome LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Toolkit contents Welcome A word from Bill Bryson Contents page Resource order form Spread the word Make a difference where you live a guide for community involvement Case studies: Hampshire & Dorset Postcards Poster Banish the bags in your town Take practical action Poster How to organise a community clean-up day Sample press releases Online litteraction Risk assessment form Be a campaigner Litter & fly-tipping: whose problem is it anyway? Who s responsible for what Letter writing tips and sample letter Sample press release

3 Welcome LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Resource request form The following 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 - village scene Postcards landscape scene Awareness poster Clean-up day poster High visibility vests Name Group I am/am not (please delete as appropriate) the litter contact for our group Address: address: Telephone number: Please return this form to: Sarah Halevy, Campaigns Outreach Officer, CPRE, 128 Southwark Street, London SE1 0SW 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: standard 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: standard UK delivery

4 Spread the word LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Adopt a road Set up a litter group, adopt a local road and arrange regular clean-ups of the road. Visit to find out if there is already a group in your area, or for information on how to set up a group. Walk of shame Identify a grot spot and arrange a community walk and clean-up. Go plastic bag free Join the brigade and say no to plastic bags. Read our simple step-by-step guide in the Spread the Word section. Have a community get-together Public meetings are great for launching a campaign, generating media coverage or raising public awareness. Clean-up day Organise a community clean-up event. Go to the Take Practical Action section for more information about how to do this. Make a difference where you live Poster Power Use our posters for local awareness-raising. Get writing Have a look in the Be a Campaigner section for more information about who to target and how to write effective campaigning letters. Keep up-to-date Sign up for Bill s bi-monthly e-bulletin for more information on CPRE s Stop the Drop litter campaign. Go to follow the link: Make a difference. Learn more Have a look at CPRE s website for information on litter and fly-tipping.

5 Spread the word LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Case studies Case study: CPRE Hampshire CPRE Hampshire felt little was being done to address fly-tipping on private land in the county, so in 2006 it began a new campaign to tackle the problem. CPRE Hampshire considers fly-tipping a pressing issue which is worsening. With help from a student on placement, the group began work on a campaign to help farmers and land managers deal with fly-tipping cheaply and easily. (If waste is illegally dumped on privately owned land, the landowner is responsible for clearing the waste and covering the cost of doing so.) The campaign also aimed to raise awareness of the public s legal responsibilities. The problem has been compounded by new regulations that changed the way farmers and landowners can dispose of fly-tipped waste. Until recently, they were able to get rid of it along with other waste on their farm (often by burying or burning it). However, the new regulations, which came into force on 15 May 2007, were introduced to prevent this because of the pollution that was being caused. The campaign produced a research report and a leaflet for farmers and land managers. The leaflet covers what measures can be taken to deter fly-tippers, how landowners can gain convictions and how the new regulations will affect disposal of fly-tipped waste. It also contains contact information for all the waste disposal sites in Hampshire and a quick guide on who to contact to report fly-tipping. The branch has now teamed up with other organisations including the Women s Institute and the Country Land and Business Association to try to take things further. They are currently applying for funding for a more high-profile project that may include a name-and-shame campaign and website. For more information, see and click on campaigns.

6 Case studies Case study: CPRE Dorset The Dorset Campaign Against Litter has been set up by CPRE Dorset to implement a practical campaign against litter in the county. It has facilitated a committee linking county, district and parish councils as a way of sharing information and keeping people focused on the problem. Members of the branch have been really active in taking positive action. This ranges from getting out and about identifying litter grot spots to getting involved in a parish-wide litter project. This particular project, in Chickerell, has even got its own logo and adopted a slogan: find a bin and put it in. Its activities focus on the social aspect of litter and changing people s mindsets. The campaign is based around good communication throughout the community. It is working closely with the local primary school, and has held litter surgeries inviting people s views. They have already encouraged more people to get out litter picking. And there s been a positive difference in the volume of litter in the local roads and surrounding countryside too.

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10 Spread the word LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Banish the bags in your town On average, an adult will use 300 plastic bags a year. Typically, each bag is used for only 12 minutes before it is thrown away. Plastic bags are only one element of the litter problem, but they are a significant and highly visible one, and action is needed to reduce their number. In practice, this means that supermarkets and other retailers should stop giving out so many bags free of charge. An incredible 13 billion single-use plastic bags are given out freely by Britain s high streets every year more than 800 a year to every family in the land. We therefore welcomed the Government s announcement, in the 2008 Budget, that if retailers do not voluntarily take action to reduce use of single-use plastic bags, the Government will legislate by 2009 to impose 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 is likely to lead to a total ban on plastic bags, so if you want to do something more radical, then read on! 2007 was a remarkable year for a small town in Devon. It was the year Modbury went plastic bag free. In May of 2007, 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 an entangled Lovelace in Happy Feet, to the plastic soup of waste floating in the Pacific Ocean, have helped to visualise the impact plastic litter has on people, the environment and wildlife. We know litter is bad for us all. 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 ingesting it). Plastic bags survive the decomposition of the animal, and the plastic is then released back into the environment. Ultimately, plastic bags do not biodegrade, they photodegrade. This means they break down into smaller and smaller bits which contaminate the soil, waterways and oceans. They then enter the food chain when ingested by animals. Banishing the plastic bag is not a fad, but one important way to cut back on disposable plastic in our everyday lives. So, how can you banish the bag in your town? Follow the steps overleaf!

11 How to go plastic bag free 1. First of all, learn about the effect plastics have on the environment. Find out about more environmentally-friendly materials that alternative bags could be made from. This is essential and will strengthen your position for the next steps. Take a look at for information and inspiration. 2. Try to determine the level of support from traders and the community at large for a ban on plastic bags in your community. 3. Arrange a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce to put your idea to them and ask for their support. Visit each trader to chat to them about your idea. Good research will help you answer all their questions. 4. Organise a mass meeting for local traders and residents to discuss the possibility of changing over from plastic to another type of bag. Bring along any visual guides and information so that the traders understand what plastic bags are doing to our environment. Also have alternative bag samples with you so people can have a look at them and decide which one they prefer. 5. 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. 6. Organise regular group meetings up until the changeover date for traders, or representatives of the traders, to work out how to run the campaign. Good luck!

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13 Take practical action LITTER & FLY -TIPPING How to organise a community clean-up day 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 despoils the environment. It is also a hazard to pets and wild animals one that killed or injured over 69,000 animals in Britain last year. This guide will give you an overview of how you can combat this problem by organising a community clean-up day. Getting your hands dirty in three easy stages 1. Plan the event decide on where you want to carry out your litter pick. Contact landowners to make sure you have legal access to this area. Landowners can be the town, district or county council, farmers, or local estate owners; carry out a full risk assessment of the area. Have a look at the guide produced by ENCAMS (see useful information below) for a comprehensive list of hazards to look out for, and use the enclosed risk assessment template; make a site map. Make a note of your route, and if possible identify locations for first aid, toilets, public phones, useful amenities, break areas and so on; decide when you will do the pick up; decide how you will present the clean-up to your volunteers. It can be a straight forward litter pick, or you can have a theme or set a challenge; now, rally your volunteers! Try to get support from other groups and individuals to make this a community event. You can use the enclosed poster and send out the enclosed press release to reach a wide range of volunteers; prepare for the event. You will need a range of equipment. Again, follow the link below for a comprehensive list; brief the volunteers prior to the event. Make sure they know where and when to meet, what clothes to wear and which equipment to bring if applicable; arrange for waste disposal. You can contact your local borough or district council, or dispose of the rubbish yourselves. Make sure you get specialist help for heavy objects; contact us for CPRE high visibility vests; you are encouraged to ensure you have adequate insurance cover, in case of accidental damage or injury during the event; and get publicity for the event. Let the media know about the event or use the enclosed press release to get publicity after the pick-up.

14 2. The day of the community pick-up inform and instruct the volunteers. Identify team leaders and make sure the volunteers know about health and safety risks, who is responsible for first aid, how to use equipment, the route, timings and so on. Provide the volunteers with the CPRE high visibility vests; be considerate. You are urged to not disturb animals or damage plants. Don t remove natural rubbish like logs, stones and weeds as this can be home to animals. Don t try to release entangled animals; call the RSPCA if you come across any. Don t interfere with people not involved in the litter pick; and avoid danger. Make sure all volunteers, particularly children, are aware of what not to pick up, such as drug-related litter. Note their location and tell the council. For other precautions, please refer to the guide produced by ENCAMS (under useful information below). 3. After the event report the result. Note the amount of rubbish collected and include this in the press release, or tell your local council; and try to recycle as much of the rubbish as possible. Useful information There are many guides on how to arrange community litter picks. ENCAMS (an environmental charity that runs the Keep Britain Tidy campaign) has produced a comprehensive guide. Visit and scroll down to the bottom of the page the guide is called Litter Organising a Cleanup. CPRE s Stop the Drop litter campaign pages: You can also link from these pages to CPRE and CleanupUK s litteraction website: which will help you to find your nearest litter picking group, or establish your own group. Disclaimer CPRE makes no representations or warranties about the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the information published in this guide. All liability of CPRE howsoever arising for any such inaccuracies or errors is expressly excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law. This is a comprehensive limitation of liability that applies to all damages of any kind including (without limitation) compensatory, direct, indirect or consequential damages, loss of data, income or profit, loss of, or damage to, property and claims of third parties. Any individual acting upon information contained in this guide does so entirely at their own risk.

15 Sample press release: for advance notice on pick up day Or insert your own logo News Release Date <date> For Immediate Release OR Embargo Not for publication before 00:01 hrs <date> PRETTY. AWFUL. That s the verdict of <CPRE X-shire> on the state of the countryside. The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) [1] is so appalled at today s rising tide of litter and fly-tipping in rural areas that it has launched Stop the Drop [2], an ambitious new three-year campaign. The aim of the campaign is to highlight the impact that litter has on the beauty of our countryside, and to encourage people to demand better and more concentrated action on litter and fly-tipping from local authorities, central government and other groups. Launching the campaign, Bill Bryson, CPRE President, said: Litter is becoming the default condition of the English countryside. It is time that we all of us did something about this. The landscape is too lovely to trash. That is why we have launched Stop the Drop, to try to make England s countryside what it was almost everywhere until very recently and what most of us still want it to be a place of cherished beauty and sometimes utter perfection. The problem of litter is huge, and growing. In the UK, an estimated 25 million tonnes a year are dropped almost entirely made up of food and drink packaging. This is as heavy as 62,500 jumbo jets. And the amount of litter dropped yearly in the UK has increased by 500% since the 1960s [3]. Statistics around fly-tipping are just as shocking: there were 2.6 million incidents in England in up 5% on the previous year [4]. You can include information about your local group here Clearing up litter and fly-tipping costs us over 600 million each year and ruins the appearance of too much of our countryside. Everyone who cares about the countryside is being encouraged to help CPRE Stop the Drop through getting involved in the campaign by: going to the campaign website, to find out more; joining a clean-up day in their local area; and ing and writing to the relevant authorities to demand clean-up action. If you would like to do something about litter in your local area, why not join <CPRE X- shire s> clean-up day. <Add details of what, when, where, what to bring, contact details etc here>.

16 Sample press release: for advance notice on pick up day NOTES FOR EDITORS 1. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Bill Bryson Patron: Her Majesty The Queen Stop the Drop was launched by CPRE on 16 April Full campaign information and materials are available at including an introduction and video footage from Bill Bryson s litter pick in Durham. Details of how to contact litter authorities, posters, postcards, case studies, information about how to spread the word, take practical action and be a campaigner locally are all available online 3. According to data from the Highways Agency see 4. Local authority performance results on litter and fly-tipping are available at FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Include your phone number here and make sure you can be reached at any time day or evening

17 Sample press release: information on past event Or insert your own logo News Release Date <date> For Immediate Release OR Embargo Not for publication before 00:01 hrs <date> PRETTY. AMAZING. That s the verdict of <CPRE X-shire> on the incredible difference everyone made to <insert location> by clearing it of litter during a recent community clean-up day. <Insert details of the day: when, where, how many people came, the amount of litter found, what was achieved, including before and after pictures, etc>. The community clean-up day was organised by <CPRE X-shire> as part of Stop the Drop [2], an ambitious new three-year campaign aimed at tackling today s rising tide of litter and fly-tipping in rural areas. The aim of the campaign is to highlight the impact that litter has on the beauty of our countryside, and to encourage people to demand better and more concentrated action on litter and fly-tipping from local authorities, central government and other groups. Delighted by achievements of the community clean-up day and general public support for the campaign, Bill Bryson, CPRE President, said: The survival of English landscapes has owed everything to the character of the people who live in and use them, and their unique love of the outdoors. I am honoured and grateful that so many people supported this event. Thanks to them, we are able to keep up the fight to protect the countryside. A tidy countryside should be a right, not a surprise, and with continued support, we can try to make England s countryside what most of us want it to be a place of cherished beauty and sometimes utter perfection. You can include information about your local group here The problem of litter is huge, and growing. In the UK, an estimated 25 million tonnes a year are dropped almost entirely made up of food and drink packaging. This is as heavy as 62,500 jumbo jets. And the amount of litter dropped yearly in the UK has increased by 500% since the 1960s [3]. Statistics around fly-tipping are just as shocking: there were 2.6 million incidents in England in up 5% on the previous year [4]. Clearing up litter and fly-tipping costs us over 600 million each year and ruins the appearance of too much of our countryside. Everyone who cares about the countryside is being encouraged to help CPRE Stop the Drop through getting involved in the campaign by: going to the campaign website, to find out more; joining a clean-up day in their local area; and ing and writing to the relevant authorities to demand clean-up action.

18 Sample press release: information on past event If you would like to do something about litter in your local area, why not join <CPRE X-shire s> next clean-up day. <Add details of what, when, where, what to bring, contact details etc here>. NOTES FOR EDITORS 1. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Bill Bryson Patron: Her Majesty The Queen Stop the Drop was launched by CPRE on 16 April Full campaign information and materials are available at including an introduction and video footage from Bill Bryson s litter pick in Durham. Details of how to contact litter authorities, posters, postcards, case studies, information about how to spread the word, take practical action and be a campaigner locally are all available online 3. According to data from the Highways Agency see 4. Local authority performance results on litter and fly-tipping are available at FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Include your phone number here and make sure you can be reached at any time day or evening.

19 Take practical action 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 their area, set up a new one. The site aims to promote and support local community action. is our 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 dedicate their free time to picking up litter. We are working on this project with CleanupUK (an organisation whose aim is to assist people in arranging litter picks). The site is all about inspiring people to work together with others in the local community to clean it up, making the area where you live a better place to be. As well as steering people towards their nearest group, the site also contains lots of other information and campaigning ideas. You ll be able to 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 do something about the litter problem. Log on to to find out more. We hope you like it.

20 Take practical action Risk assessment LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Site/area: Name and position of person carrying out risk assessment: Signature: Date: Identification of hazards Level of risk after implementation Risk level Control procedure to reduce risk of control procedures High Med Low N/A High Med Low N/A Containers, gas bottles, or large cans Local environmental conditions Hazardous waste Sharp objects Heavy objects

21 Risk assessment (continued) Identification of hazards Level of risk after implementation Risk level Control procedure to reduce risk of control procedures High Med Low N/A High Med Low N/A Dead/injured animals Animal faeces Asbestos Other People especially at risk For example younger children. Risk = severity x likelihood Severity rating Likelihood 0 = No injury or illness 0 = Zero to very low 1 = First aid injury or illness 1 = Very unlikely 2 = Minor injury or illness 2 = Unlikely 3 = Over 3 day injury or illness 3 = Likely 4 = Major injury or illness 4 = Very likely 5 = Fatality or permanent disability 5 = Almost certain

22 Be a campaigner LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Litter and fly-tipping: Whose problem is it anyway? For many people, litter is the most important issue on the local environmental agenda. And rightly so; figures show that this is a widespread and growing problem. But, what is litter and fly-tipping, and who is responsible for clearing it up? And what can you do to help influence and improve the quality of 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 is an offence to drop or otherwise deposit, and then leave, litter in all open-air places, including private land and land covered by water. In the UK, an estimated 25 million tonnes a year are dropped (almost entirely food and drink packaging) five times more than in the 1960s (Highways Agency). 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 disposal in a manner likely to cause environmental pollution or harm to human health. According to Defra, 2.6 million incidences of fly-tipping occur in England every year. Litter and fly-tipping are an eyesore, an environmental polluter and 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. (For the Highways Agency and other duty bodies areas of responsibility, see Who s Responsible for What sheet in this section). This includes all land which you and I, as the public, have access to with or without paying. Grading systems have been developed to guide local authorities and other duty bodies in their work. Firstly, there are grades of cleanliness. Four grades correspond to the levels of street cleanliness for litter.

23 The four cleanliness grades 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 A grade A level of cleanliness cannot be maintained at all times so Grade B is usually regarded as acceptable by the public for short periods of time. Grade C and D are unacceptable. Local authorities are expected to ensure that the cleanliness of public land and roads does not fall below grade B. However, the intensity and speed of littering, and therefore the removal of it, are reliant on other factors, particularly on how often areas are used. A local authority is responsible for maintaining its land to a certain standard. It must make sure that a minimum level of cleanliness is achieved within a certain timeframe.

24 Litter and fly-tipping: Whose problem is it anyway? (continued) Local authorities and litter (continued) Land categories and management levels LEVEL OF INTENSITY High intensity of use Medium intensity of use 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 Local authorities are required to make the categorisation of their land publicly available. Their powers It is illegal to drop and leave litter on land managed by local authorities. A person found guilty of littering can be fined up to 2,500 or presented with a fixed penalty notice (usually between 50 and 80). Local authorities can take action where another organisation is failing to keep its land clear of litter by handing out a litter abatement notice. It is an offence to fail to comply with a litter abatement notice. Failing to comply is punishable by a 2,500 fine plus an extra 125 for every day the offence continues. 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, forcing them to clear up their land, possibly to a standard specified by the authorities. If this is not achieved, the local authority can enter the land and clear it to this standard and recover the costs of doing so. And businesses can be required to clear litter up to 100 metres from their property.

25 What action you can take 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 remain unsatisfied, you can apply for a litter abatement order. Local authorities and fly-tipping Their responsibilities Local authorities deal primarily with small, localised incidents of fly-tipping. 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 do not 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 wastes other than those which the Environment Agency deals with; and fly-tipped waste (including animal carcasses or remains) on private land or in watercourses that is harming the local area or could cause flooding because it is 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 attract substantially higher financial penalties and clean-up costs than littering, with the possibility of unlimited fines or up to two years imprisonment. But remember action and enforcement is 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.

26 Be a campaigner LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Who s responsible for what Organisation Responsible for Who to contact Local authorities (district councils, county councils, unitary authorities and London boroughs) Highways Agency 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 search for road network map and click on the second search result. This depends on each authority. To find your litter authority go to search for street cleaning and litter and click on the second search result. 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. Network Rail 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, London Cannon Street, London Charing Cross, Edinburgh Waverley, London Euston, London Fenchurch Street, Gatwick, Glasgow Central, London King s Cross, Leeds, Liverpool Lime Street, London Liverpool Street, London Bridge, Manchester Piccadilly, London Paddington, London Victoria and London Waterloo). The remaining 2,500 stations are managed by the train operating companies. Please call the National Rail Helpline if you have complaints about the level of litter on the stations managed by National Rail. Contact the train operating companies for the remaining 2,500 stations. Environment Agency 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. Incidents can be reported 24 hours a day on The Environment Agency also investigates unregistered waste carriers and brokers. To ensure your tradesman or skip hire is a registered waste carrier, call National Trust Land and property the Trust owns and maintains. Litter problems should be reported to National Trust regional offices or head office Forestry Commission Land managed by Forest Enterprise England 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. National Park Authorities All land falling within National Park boundaries. Please contact the appropriate National Park Authority if you have complaints or concerns. See uk/contactus for further details.

27 Be a campaigner LITTER & FLY -TIPPING Take on your Local Authority: Write a letter Letter writing is an appropriate campaign tactic in many different situations. Letters from individual campaigners can help draw attention to an issue they are concerned about. It can also get those in positions of authority to acknowledge or understand a problem. Writing to your local authority is a great way to help influence the environmental quality of your local area. Asking for a reply to your letter means that you are encouraging at least one immediate action. What you can focus on in your letter Responsibilities: use this briefing to point out to your local authority their responsibilities in terms of litter and fly-tipping. Litter/fly-tipping problems: identify a local grot spot and tell your local authority where it is and how it affects the community. Include a photograph if you can. Actions: ask your local authority what it is doing to address or prevent littering/fly-tipping in your area. Some points you could include in your letter Ask your local authority to: keep the areas within its boundaries clear of litter; clear litter up according to the specified time-frame; use its powers to fine individuals and businesses that drop litter or fly-tip; and ensure that other duty bodies maintain areas for which they are responsible. Letter writer tips target your letter at the right individual(s) in your local authority; write a short and clear letter, focusing on just one topic; be positive, factual and polite; use your own words to explain your views and how the issue affects you; quote policies or statements that support your case; and ask for a reply to your letter.

28 1 Dear I am writing to you to share my concerns about the state of our countryside. Many of our once beautiful areas are becoming increasingly unpleasant to visit because of litter and fly-tipping. As I am sure you are aware,(enter local authority name here) is responsible for keeping all public land and roads within your boundaries clear of litter and refuse. (Enter local authority name here) is required to ensure that these areas are predominantly free of litter; only smaller items are acceptable and then only for a limited period of time. There are clear guidelines for how often areas are to be cleared. Litter in busy public areas should be removed within half a day. Areas regularly used by the public, but without retail or commercial activities, should be cleared within one day. Litter in rural areas, except for certain hotspots, must be cleared within two weeks. I urge you to ensure that rural, as well as urban, areas are kept clear of litter and fly-tipping. Please: keep the areas within your boundaries clear of litter; clear litter up according to the specified time-frame; use your powers to fine individuals and businesses that drop litter or fly-tip on public or privately owned land; and ensure that other duty bodies maintain areas for which they are responsible. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter I look forward to hearing what action you are taking on litter and fly-tipping in our area. Yours sincerely

29 Sample press release with local statistics Or insert your own logo News Release Date <date> For Immediate Release OR Embargo Not for publication before 00:01 hrs <date> TAKE ACTION STOP THE DROP WITH CPRE How wonderful, finally the weather is getting warmer and it s time to get back into the great outdoors. Just imagine: you are walking in one of your favourite beauty spots <name local beauty spot>, your heart lifting as you see that spring has sprung. The sky is blue, the birds are singing, the air is fresh and all you can see for miles ahead are the familiar views and contours you have grown to love. But hold on what s this you ve just stepped on? A plastic bottle, its contents long gone. Then you spot a carrier bag flapping in the hedgerow. Some old soft drink cans nestling in a clump of grass. Suddenly, instead of a nature trail, your local habitat has been invaded by an ugly trail of litter. <Insert local statistics here> Along with many others, you feel strongly about this but what are you going to do about it? Of course, you could pick up the litter. But there is so much how are you supposed to pick it all up by yourself? Who is responsible for litter in the countryside? And how will the powers that be find out about all this mess? Thanks to the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) [1], there is now something that we can all do. On 16 April, CPRE launched Stop the Drop [2], an ambitious new three-year anti-litter and fly-tipping campaign. The aim of the campaign is to highlight the impact that litter has on the beauty of our countryside and encourage people to demand better and more concerted action on litter and fly-tipping from local authorities, the Government and other responsible bodies. You can include information about your local group here The campaign website contains all the campaign information, links and actions you need for reporting litter or demanding clean-up action from the relevant authorities. The website also hosts a community site called litteraction, for anyone to find out about tackling litter and fly-tipping in their area either through community clean-ups or through local education activities. Plus, anyone interested in supporting Stop the Drop can add their name to the supporters pledge, helping CPRE demonstrate to the Government, and other authorities, the strength of support behind the campaign. One of the most effective ways of taking practical action is by ing and writing to the relevant authorities to demand clean-up action. <Insert local authority information here, along with any details of problem sites, and local planned activities>

30 Sample press release with local statistics Whatever you do, you will be raising the issue locally and, with the help of <CPRE X-shire>, can really make a difference. As CPRE president Bill Bryson says: The survival of English landscapes has owed everything to the character of the English people and their love of the outdoors. It is vital that we keep up the fight to protect the countryside, so please look at the website and help us take action on your patch. NOTES FOR EDITORS 1. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Bill Bryson Patron: Her Majesty The Queen Stop the Drop was launched by CPRE on 16 April Full campaign information and materials are available at including an introduction and video footage from Bill Bryson s litter pick in Durham. Details of how to contact litter authorities, posters, postcards, case studies, information about how to spread the word, take practical action and be a campaigner locally are all available online FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Include your phone number here and make sure you can be reached at any time day or evening.