Don't Muck Around Campaign 2012

Aims

• Stub out cigarette litter: We aim to reduce the amount of cigarette litter dumped on the streets by raising awareness that cigarette ends are litter and through enforcement. The success of this strand will be measured by litter reduction and prosecutions.
• Be Aware of Duty of Care: The Council aims to raise awareness of Duty of Care offences and reduce the number of people prosecuted for this offence. Duty of Care is an offence under the Environmental Protection Act. It is where a householder fails to check that someone they pay to remove waste from their property is a licensed waste carrier. It also aims to continue to reduce the amount of waste fly-tipped. The success of this strand will be measured by the number of reports received, the number of people prosecuted for Duty of Care offences or the number of fly tips recorded.
• Go barking mad at dog fouling: The Council will increase patrols at designated dog fouling hotspot areas to target offenders. Success of this strand will be measured by the amount of dog foul monitored before and after the campaign period.

Grime and Punishment – Your Guide

Cigarette Litter: is simply people dropping smoking materials in streets and parks. Cigarette litter is exactly that – litter. Littering is an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and an immediate Fixed Penalty can be issued for £80 and - if convicted in court, fines of up to £2,500 can be imposed.  

Dog fouling: It is an offence for a person not to remove the faeces of any dog in their charge immediately from any land open to the air which the public are entitled or permitted to have access with or without payment. Offenders can be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice of £80. A discounted rate of £50 will apply if the payment is received by the Council within 10 days of issue of the notice. Any person failing to pay a Fixed Penalty Notice after 14 days may be taken to court and if found guilty of an offence could face a fine of up to £1,000.  

Fly Tipping – Duty of Care: If you have waste you have a legal 'Duty of Care'. The Duty of Care applies to everyone involved in handling the waste from the person who produces it to the person who finally disposes of or recovers it.  

Duty of Care is one of the main ways to combat fly-tipping. 

If you give your waste to someone (like a waste contractor) it is your duty to make sure that you: 

• Check the person can take it - ask them to produce evidence that they are authorised to carry waste. If they can't do this do not give them your waste - contact the Environment Agency on 03708 506 506.
• Ensure the waste goes to a proper site - licensed or exempt.
• Give the person a transfer note - this must include a description of the waste and be signed by both of you. Keep copies of your transfer notes for a minimum of two years.
• Ensure that from 28 September 2011 a declaration is signed on the transfer note to indicate that the waste management hierarchy of options has been applied.

As well as damaging human health, Cigarette butts are washed into rivers, lakes and the ocean where they are eaten by birds, animals and fish. Cigarette filters can take up to 12 years to decompose. Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the world with an estimated 4.5 trillion cigarettes being littered each year across the globe according to The Ocean Conservancy, a group that monitors marine pollution 

Report It 

If you know of an offender or want to report an incident, call North West Leicestershire District Council on 01530 454545 or email customer.services@nwleicestershire.gov.uk.