This website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience and deliver personalised ads. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Littering – What’s the Penalty?
Littering – What’s the Penalty?
Studies suggest that around 62% of people drop litter, but only 28% of people would admit to it. Given that 99% of streets in any given town will have some form of cigarette litter, at least some of the blame can be laid at the feet of smokers. Not all though. Given that over 30 million tonnes of litter is collected from the streets of England each year – enough to fill Wembley Stadium – it’s clear that we all have a lot of work to do.
Given how common littering seems to be, you might think that it goes unpunished. This isn’t true. In this article, the Brown Recycling team will be taking a look at littering and the associated penalties in greater detail.
Littering and the littering mentality
One of the most damaging things about littering is that littering begets littering. That is to say, the more people litter in a particular area, the more people will begin to see that place as somewhere not worth caring about, and so the cycle of littering continues. This sort of cyclical problem can have a hugely negative impact on community spirit, and can even make people feel unsafe in their own towns and villages.
What is classed as litter?
If we are going to be looking at different bits of litter legislation, it makes sense to first look at exactly what is classed as litter. According to the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA), litter is considered to be any item such as chewing gum, cigarette butts, food waste or packaging that has been discarded improperly on public or private land.
Litter legislation
The main piece of legislation covering litter is outlined in part 4 of the EPA. In particular, section 87 of the EPA states that it is a criminal offence to drop, throw down, leave or deposit litter in a public place. The maximum fine for littering of this kind is £2,500 and it can be tried in a magistrate’s court.
Fixed penalty notices
Section 88 of the EPA previously allowed for people who had committed the offence of leaving litter to be given a fixed penalty notice of £50. This has been amended, however, and it is now up to the authority in question to specify just how much the fixed penalty notice is. If an amount is not specified, then it will be £75.
Who can enforce litter laws?
Prosecuting litter louts isn’t just for the police. In fact, litter laws can be enforced by local authorities and other primary litter authorities. That is, the EPA gives powers and duties to certain bodies, enabling them to manage litter problems on certain areas of lands.
Here is a list of the relevant land upon which these bodies can act:
- Land open to the air on one side
- Land under direct control of that particular authority
- Land to which the public has access to
- Land near railway stations and in urban areas where the public is not permitted
With this in mind, it makes sense to think carefully about discarding waste before you do it. Just because people litter, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t come with a penalty.
Here at Brown Recycling, we’re always trying to do our bit to help better the environment. Whether it’s providing skips to the friendly residents of Stoke or offering waste collection services for local businesses, we’re proud of our role. If you have a waste problem that you think we could help with, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’re always happy to help.
Got any burning questions?
You can ask us a question online using our contact form. Simply provide your name, email (purely for confirmation purposes) and the details of your enquiry, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
What our clients say about us
“We are hugely grateful to Brown Recycling for their help on DIY SOS: The Big Build in Stoke. Dave and the team went above and beyond to clear the site and then bring in other suppliers who also supported this great cause. Thanks to the generosity of countless suppliers and volunteers, Stoke now has a community centre that will support its residents for many years to come.”
Read more testimonials
Fully accredited by leading industry bodies
-
Excellent service on a recent Hazardous waste removal from one of our sites. Paddy and Stacey wasted no time in arranging for our waste to be removed in surprisingly quick turnaround. 10/10...
1 week ago -
Hired a skip to clear a huge pile of garden waste. Arrived on time, picked up bang on time, dead easy to book and pay. Courteous, helpful drivers. Job done! just as it should be, without drama. Highly...
1 month ago -
Very professional service and the customer service team are very helpful and knowledgeable. We have been working with browns and using their services for a number of years and cannot fault it. Very co...
1 month ago -
Terry was very efficient. We will use brown for skips again...
2 months ago -
Had problems with getting the skip into our drive but Browns persisted and 3 trucks later the 3rd driver got the job done. Incredible service from a very professional and competent company. Special me...
2 months ago -
Really efficient service, competitive price and they dropped off skip exactly where we asked them to. Easy to book a skip over the weekend using their online booking system. Very helpful when we nee...
3 months ago -
I ordered a skip at short notice and it arrived as requested. Having finished with it early Terry came and collected it very promptly which freed up the driveway. A Good service and reasonably priced....
3 months ago -
Brilliant service - I booked for the wrong date, but Browns were really helpful and changed the booking at the last minute....
4 months ago -
We chose Brown Recycling because out of the firms we rang the lady on the end of the phone knew exactly what we needed and was very helpful. ( Yes you can place a skip in a council paying car park) A...
5 months ago -
A big thanks to Phil, always helpful and polite when collecting cardboard, nothing too much trouble ....
5 months ago -
Christie has been great in providing us with a total review of our waste services on site. If you are looking at reviewing your waste service then I would highly recommend that you reach out to her as...
6 months ago -
really fast and a easy process. Thank you Christie...
6 months ago -
Christie has been most helpful and informative whilst booking a new service for plastic and general waste recycling. Would recommend :)...
6 months ago -
Christie was very helpful, she managed the whole process very efficiently and met our expectations. We now have the service and commercial offering we need for our business waste. We would recommend...
9 months ago -
Quick and really reliable service.... was a pleasure dealing with Christie!!!...
9 months ago -
Requested amendment to current waste collection. Very helpful and was able to answer all queries and adapt to our requirements. Definitely recommend...
10 months ago -
We had a visit today from Mark and Andy dropping off our new waste bin. I would just like to acknowledge their outstanding customer service. They disposed of the built up waste that we had gathered si...
11 months ago -
Full marks to Andy and Mark. Went above and beyond today and would highly recommend them to anybody looking to recycle large quantities of waste. Professional, efficient and very approachable...
11 months ago -
First time using Browns, they were clear, efficient and got the job done. Will continue to use their services....
1 year ago -
New to sorting a bin service for our new business. Christie and Brown Recyling has been great with helping us select the right type of bin required as well as not overspending for the sake of it. He...
1 year ago -
Super easy to set up a long term skip hire, Christie made things nice and clear and the prices were good too! everything was ready to go really quick, highly recommend Browns...
1 year ago