Litter: Urban Areas

(asked on 5th September 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle littering in city and town centres across (a) the UK and (b) Romford constituency.


Answered by
Trudy Harrison Portrait
Trudy Harrison
This question was answered on 30th September 2022

In recent years we have bolstered councils' enforcement powers, such as by almost doubling the maximum fixed penalty for littering. We have also published guidance on the provision of litter bins and provided nearly £1 million across 44 councils to help them purchase new bins.

We have brought together chewing gum producers as part of a voluntary producer responsibility scheme that has recently announced funding of £1.25 million to help more than 40 councils across the UK clean gum off pavements. It is the first project of the five-year programme through which gum producers will invest up to £10 million to help tackle chewing gum littering. We are also actively exploring regulatory options for tackling cigarette butt littering.

We have also consulted on introducing a deposit return scheme for drinks containers. We estimate that the scheme can reduce drinks containers being littered by 85%. Further details for when a Deposit Return Scheme will be introduced will be set out in the Government response to last year's consultation. We are working towards publication in late 2022.

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