Litter

What Is Litter?

Litter is a big problem in parts of North West Leicestershire. Litter is simply people leaving their waste in parks, streets, stuck to pavements or dropping it out of the car window. It can be anything from a small piece of chewed gum to large bags of rubbish. Many people do not consider gum, cigarette butts, sweet wrappers and other small items as litter - yet they make up a large proportion of the litter that is collected. Put together, these small and large pieces of litter make North West Leicestershire look untidy. Littering is an environmental offence and under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 an immediate Fixed Penalty can be issued for £80 and if convicted up to £2500.

What Can We Do?

We have a specialised team supported by other council services that focuses on reducing the amounts of litter on our street and in public places. North West Leicestershire is divided into three smaller focus districts that each have a Street Environment Manager. This person is resposible for targeting areas through education in schools, workshops and community events such as community litter picks.

What Can You Do?

As a resident of the area you can help by using public litter bins, telling us where litter accumulates and if you're feeling active join us on a community litter pick or organise your own. If you contact us we can help in supplying picks and bags.

Community Litter Picks and Green Footprints Litter Pickers

You can organise your own or join in with an existing litter pick in your area, see below a list of the Community Litter Picks taking place across the district this Spring, or email customer.services@nwleicestershire.gov.uk, tel: 01530 454545 if you would like to organise your own, quoting Community Litter Pick.

14th March 2012- McDonalds Litter Pick

17th March 2012  - Ashby Brook Clean Up and Litter Pick

24th March 2012  - Packington Community Litter Pick

25th March 2012  - Snarestone Community Litter Pick

31st March 2012  - Coalville Area Community Litter Pick with The Rotary Club

5th April 2012       - Hermitage Leisure Centre Litter Pick

14th April 2012     - Ibstock Litter pick with Community College

21st April 2012     - Castle Donington Spring Clean (Castle Donington Parish Council)

29th April 2012     - Coleorton Community Litter Pick (postponed due to bad weather)

12th May 2012      - Hugglescote Community Litter Pick

13th May 2012      - Ravenstone Community Litter Pick

13th May 2012      - Coleorton Community Litter Pick (rescheduled from 29th April 2012)

16th June 2012     - Donisthorpe Community Litter Pick

27th June 2012     - Prince's Trust Litter Pick

If you would like to become a Green Footprints Litter Picker to occasionally pick litter in your area when you are out and about, then we would love to hear from you, contact us on customer.services@nwleicestershire.gov.uk, tel: 01530 454545 quoting Green Footprints Litter Picker.

For further national information visit: www.lovewhereyoulive.org