29 June 2009
Litterbugs who drop rubbish are being urged to 'Pick Up or Pay Up!' as part of the council's zero tolerance campaign on litter.
According to a Keep Wales Tidy survey, littering is consistently one of the highest sources of complaints by the public to local authorities. The council's teams of enforcement officers and Community Safety Wardens work hard to ensure that the inconsiderate minority who feel it is acceptable to drop litter do not get away with it.
Those caught dropping litter are issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of £75, reduced to £50 if it is paid within 14 days. Where non-payment of a fine occurs, the matter is pursued without exception through the courts, where a fine can be imposed of up to £1000.
Since 2001, council enforcement officers have:
- Issued more than 430 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN's) for littering
- Issued 324 written warnings for littering
- Dealt with 22 people for throwing litter from the window of a vehicle
- Taken 30 people to court for non-payment of fixed penalty notices
Enforcement officers have also visited a number of schools, colleges, shops and pubs throughout the local area, informing people of their social responsibilities surrounding environmental issues including littering, and the consequences of being caught littering.
The council has also invested in additional bins and warning signs to aid proper disposal and advise residents of the issues being encountered.
Cabinet member, Cllr Lyn Ackerman said, "The vast majority of our residents take their environmental responsibilities seriously, but there are still a small minority who do not cooperate, and feel that it is acceptable to drop litter.
This behaviour will not be tolerated – we are determined to get the message across that you will either pick up your litter or you will pay the price. Our streets are not a dumping ground, and we are determined to ensure that our zero tolerance message really does hit home, so that the Caerphilly county borough remains a beautiful place to live, work and visit."
To report littering in the Caerphilly county borough, please call the 24 hour hotline: 01443 866 566.
What are the effects of litter on society?
- Litter costs money. Removing litter from the environment costs everyone money.
- Litter can be a threat to public health. Litter attracts vermin and is a breeding ground for bacteria.
- Litter can be a fire hazard. Accumulated litter and carelessly discarded cigarette butts are potential fire hazards.
- Litter looks bad. Litter negatively affects the image of places, especially tourist locations.
- Litter attracts litter. Litter sends out a message that people do not care for the environment and that it is acceptable to litter.
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