Against litter campaign








We're all responsible

 

Our new campaign

Our 'Against Litter' campaign aims to bring everyone together in the fight against the crime of littering. This will involve various projects as well as working closely with you, community groups and local businesses.

  • We live and work in one of the most beautiful areas in the country, but the district only stays this way because of our dedicated teams who travel around 303 square miles every week keeping it clean.
  • We spend £1 million every year on making sure that the district is clean and tidy. If people didn't drop litter, fly tip, or leave behind their dog's mess, some of this money could be spent on other essential services.

Campaign activities

  • From November 2017, as part of a trial partnership project, enforcement officers from East Hampshire District will be patrolling our streets and taking action against anyone caught littering or not clearing up their dog's mess.
  • We will continue to take action against those who fly tip and will be placing cameras in hot spots as part of a partnership project between Trading Standards, the police and the fire service.
  • We will be encouraging community groups and businesses to 'Adopt an Area' and take pride in their patch.
  • We will be advising tradespeople to make sure that any loads that they are carrying on their vans are securely fastened. We will also be encouraging tradespeople to make sure that they are registered as waste carriers.
  • We will be celebrating the fantastic work of our community heroes who spend hours cleaning up after others.
  • We will be encouraging you to report fly tips and litter hot spots.
  • As part of a partnership project with Trading Standards, the police and the fire service, we will be placing cameras in hot spots to crack down on fly tipping.

Why have we launched this campaign?

We regularly receive emails and phone calls from residents who are fed up with their local area being ruined by a minority of people, and they want us to take action. We've seen an increase of littering on our roads and coastline, the number of fly tips reported, and the amount of hazardous waste we have had to remove.

This campaign is in direct response to feedback from our residents who want us to tackle these issues. Enforcement is a key part of this, along with education and community involvement.

This is a concentrated effort and will involve a number of different methods. We want to engage with local communities and empower them to take positive, preventative action, as well as encouraging local businesses to get involved.

With us all working together, we can make a difference and ensure our district remains beautiful for everyone who lives, works and visits here.

What is litter?

Litter is anything that is thrown down or dropped and then left. This includes:

  • cigarrette ends;
  • cigars;
  • chewing gum;
  • sweet wrappers; and
  • food containers

What are the fines for littering and dog fouling?

It is a crime to drop litter or to leave your dog's mess behind.

  • If you are caught dropping litter, which includes dog waste bags, you will receive an on the spot fine of £80.00. This reduces to £60.00 if it is paid within 14 days.
  • If you are caught not clearing up your dog's mess, you will received an on the spot fine of £100.00. This reduces to £75.00 if it is paid within 14 days.
  • If the fines are not paid and a case goes to court, the maximum penalty for littering is £2,500 and £1,000 for dog fouling.

The council does not make any money from the fines; they just pay for the service. The litter enforcement officers are highly trained. Their visibility in our communities will hopefully make people think twice about dropping litter and make a strong message that we want to protect our beautiful environment. East Hampshire, Havant and Arun District Councils have already introduced this with great success.

What is fly tipping?

Fly tipping is when waste is illegally dumped on roads or land which are not licensed for waste. Fly tipped waste generally consists of materials such as household waste, large domestic items such as fridges and furniture, garden refuse, commercial waste, such as building rubble and soil, asbestos waste and tyres. You can be fined up to £50,000 or sentenced to 12 months in prison if convicted in a magistrates' court. If you are convicted at crown court then fly tipping can attract an unlimited fine and up to five years in prison. We can also ask the court to make an order to confiscate vehicles used in fly tip offences.

In 2016, Chichester District Council spent more than £52,000 clearing away fly tipping.

By law, it is the householder who is responsible for making sure their waste is disposed of safely and legally. Whether you have finished decorating, are a student clearing out your house or been busy sprucing up the garden, it is down to you to ensure your waste is disposed of properly.

When fly tipping occurs, it is often carried out by illegal waste carriers who promise to take your waste away for a bargain fee but then dump it. Some people will drive around specifically targeting homes where there is evidence of work taking place. They will then offer to take your waste away for a fee.

If you are looking to start on a household project such as decorating or gardening consider what waste you may generate and how you will dispose of it once the job is done. Before hiring any individual or company take down the individual / company details and check with the Environment Agency  that they are a registered waste carrier.

It's also important that when a company or individual comes to pick your waste up you make a note of:

  • who came and description
  • vehicle details and the registration
  • the time and material(s) they took away

If the waste is dumped illegally, the waste could be traced back to you rather the person who dumped it and you would be held responsible.

How can I support the 'Against Litter' campaign?

  • Sign up to support our campaign and receive regular news and updates.
  • Report any hotspot areas for dog fouling, littering or fly tipping. You can contact us to report a problem.
  • Join our 'Adopt an Area' scheme and become a community clear-up hero. We can support your initiatives whether you hold an event once a year, every month, every week - it's up to you!
  • Make sure that if you are doing any decorating / household work that you dispose of your waste both legally and safely.
  • Be alert to fly tipping in your area - have you seen unfamiliar vehicles at strange times of day?
  • Ask your child's school if it would like to have a Waste Buster education programme.

Litter facts and figures

  • • We spend over £1 million each year on keeping the district clean
  • • We spent nearly £75,000 clearing up fly tips between 2016 and 2017
  • • You can place dog bags in any litter bin.
  • • Cigarette butts don't decompose. They endanger wildlife if they are left on the ground and release toxic chemicals.
  • • We've seen an increase in fly tips over the past year, and dealt with almost 1,000 cases.

Sign up and support the Against Litter campaign

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