Category: Litter

It is estimated that 2 million pieces of litter are dropped daily across the UK; a shocking statistic when you consider the size of our island and the number of people who must be dropping that litter.

Litter is unsightly, but that isn’t the only issue; it is also terrible for the environment.

Being a crime, littering can be reported in the UK so, in this blog post, we will explore what litter is, what the fine is for dropping it, and how you can report incidents of littering in your local area.

Firstly, let’s begin with the basics.

Continue reading How to report littering in Leeds & Yorkshire

Like most beach resorts across the UK, Cleethorpes is, unfortunately, no stranger to litter — especially on hot days when people head to the beach in their thousands.

It’s no wonder people flock to Cleethorpes beach when the sun makes an appearance, though — it’s beautiful and award-winning, with The Trainline naming it the second-best beach in the UK in 2021 — ahead of Blackpool, Filey and Skegness.

In this blog post, we’ll explore the litter problem in Cleethorpes and why solving it is so vital to the area.

Continue reading A quick guide to the litter problem in Cleethorpes

Fly-tipping is more than just a nuisance. For businesses, disposing of other people’s fly-tipped waste can be costly and inconvenient.

Illegally dumped waste dodges eco-friendly waste disposal rules such as recycling as much as possible, too, which is bad news for the environment — especially when the waste includes hazardous materials like hydraulic fluids and paint.

In this article, we’ll look in detail at the origins of this unwelcome practice, the impact on victims and the environment, and some of the solutions to reduce fly-tipping in the future.

Continue reading Everything you need to know about fly-tipping

Over the past year, many people have connected with the great outdoors in a way they never have before; while living through national and local lockdowns, our outdoor spaces have been more important than ever to all of us.

Coming soon is the opportunity to give back to the environment that supported us all through the low times of the pandemic, while also benefiting your physical and mental health.

Introducing the Great British Spring Clean.

Continue reading Everything you need to know about the Great British Spring Clean

Street cleansing costs UK taxpayers almost £1 billion per year in England alone, and that is just the monetary cost of litter; it also impacts upon community wellbeing and mental health, wildlife, local business, tourism, and the environment.

Furthermore, it encourages other anti-social behaviours.

Despite the best efforts of local councils, there are still many spots around Yorkshire (and further afield) where litter builds up – after all, 62% of people in England drop litter, although only 28% admit to it, and councils have a budget to work within.

However, it’s been found that 57% of people in England feel that litter is a problem in their area.

Is it an issue in your area?

If so and you’d like to take action as an individual, a community group or a business, we’ll outline how litter impacts local businesses, how to organise a litter pick, and how to source litter picking equipment in this blog post.

Continue reading Where to source a free community litter pick kit in Yorkshire

At the end of the academic year, the majority of students move out of their student housing and head home, never to return to the same property again. Enter changeover day!

Recent surveys suggest that the 18-24 age group is more wasteful than others, and one can easily imagine so when you consider the lifestyle of the average student — regular takeaways from single-use containers, parties, etc.

Of course, this doesn’t apply to all younger people or students, or even the majority — but evidence suggests it does apply to some, and that is why we are writing this blog post.

Continue reading How students should deal with waste when moving out

Litter is a real buzzword at the moment, with plastic litter being the central focus. Thanks to Sir David Attenborough’s recent documentaries, people’s eyes are now being opened to the true extent of the world’s plastic dependence and the related litter problem.

Shocking as the sight of all the litter was on these shows and in newspapers of late, it was the impact the waste had on the wildlife that really helped to highlight the issue.

Seemingly quite pivotal viewing, the video below shows just some of the ways that Blue Planet 2 inspired people to make changes in their lives.

In fact, it is estimated that one million birds and 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles die annually as a result of eating plastic or getting trapped in it.

Continue reading How litter harms our wildlife

Over a third of the waste involved in illegal fly-tipping is from households, according to The Environment Agency.

Waste crime costs the UK economy around £600 million every year, and approximately two illegal waste sites are found and shut down by the Agency every day.

Continue reading Householders encouraged to tackle illegal waste dumping

Councils across the country have been given the power to increase their local on-the-spot littering and graffiti fines to £150. This means the fines have almost doubled from the previous maximum fine amount of £80.

Collecting England’s litter costs the taxpayer almost £700m per year, so these fixed penalty fines go towards replenishing that cost for our local councils.

Continue reading Littering fines in England have doubled