Refuse - Litter - Enforcement

The Council's Street Management Team is responsible for reducing environmental crimes including enforcement of the correct disposal of litter.

Litter: The Facts

Is It a Crime To Drop Litter?

YES, if it happens in a public place.Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, as amended by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 makes it an offence to drop, throw, or deposit and leave litter anywhere. This offence includes dropping litter in water such as rivers, streams and lakes.

What Is Litter?

LITTER can be as small as a sweet wrapper, piece of chewing gum or cigarette end.  Dropped litter has a detrimental effect on the environment where we live. Litter is pollution.

Litter thrown on the ground can end up in our storm drains, ditches, and streams. Storm water runoff carries large quantities of street litter to streams, rivers, and lakes.

Street litter is often made of plastics. Plastics take hundreds of years to biodegrade and can be harmful to birds and animals, which can become entangled in it or mistake it for food.

What Will Happen If I Am Caught Dropping Litter In The Borough Of Charnwood?

IF you are caught committing the offence of dropping litter in the borough of Charnwood, you are liable to a fine and prosecution of up to £2,500 in a magistrates court.

To avoid prosecution you will be offered a £80 fixed penalty notice (fine) to discharge your liability and court proceedings if payment is received within 14 days following the date of this notice, Discounted to £50 for early payment within 10 days.

If the penalty notice is refused or not paid then court proceedings will begin.

Did You Know?

Keep Britain Tidy estimates that the average person drops just under half a ton of litter each year.

An estimated 122 tonnes of cigarette ends, matchsticks and cigarette related litter is dropped every day across the UK & it takes 1–12 years for cigarette ends to biodegrade.

TO REPORT AN INCIDENT:

Report Litter offences using our On-line Reporting Form

TEL: (01509) 634564,  or

email: cleaner.greener@charnwood.gov.uk