The inaugural Community Clear Up Day is taking place across the country this Saturday (21 March), and businesses and individuals are being urged to take part.

Billed as a ‘national spring clean’ event run by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the litter-picking day aims to ‘spruce up’ the nation’s high streets, residential and business areas, villages and parks, beaches, and footpaths.

Nearly 500 groups and individuals have registered to take part so far. Those interested can download a Clear Up Day toolkit, which includes all the materials needed to organise a local Clear Up Day including planning tips, editable leaflets, posters, and banners.

Speaking about the day, Local Government Minister Kris Hopkins said: “This is a call to arms for communities great and small to help us end this litter scourge by taking greater pride in our neighbourhoods.

“It is time to roll up our sleeves and bring the broom back out of the cupboard because by looking after our local areas we can help make them better places to work and live.

“I also urge the manufacturers of items commonly associated with littering – such as soft drinks, chewing gum, crisps, confectionary and fast food – to join us in this day and contribute to the clear up of our streets and public places.”

Litter problem not getting any better

Holding a national litter clean-up day was one of the recommendations set out in a report published by the Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee last week.

The ‘Litter and fly-tipping in England: Seventh Report of Session 2014–15’ report said that England was a ‘litter-ridden country compared to most of Europe, North America and Japan’ and noted that litter costs the taxpayer between £717 and £850 million a year to clear up.

The report also revealed that fast food litter and fly-tipping had increased by 20 per cent in the 2014-2015 year, with chewing gum and smokers’ materials the two most commonly-littered items.

The report’s main recommendation was that the government create a national litter strategy for England, so that local councils have a clear framework to adhere to.

Other recommendations included:

• ensuring a portion of tobacco levies are ‘hypothecated and provided to local councils to pay for the cost of clearing cigarette litter’;
• having the Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association provide free portable ashtrays to consumers buying cigarettes at the point-of-sale;
• ensuring the chewing gum industry makes a larger contribution to the costs of removing gum and have anti-littering notices on packaging; and
• bringing forward an obligation for all shops, restaurants and retail food outlets to keep the perimeters of their premises clean.

As well as the Community Clear Up Day, the government has also fulfilled one other recommendation in the report; new laws enhancing enforcement authorities’ existing powers to seize vehicles suspected of involvement in fly-tipping and waste crime were introduced by Defra and the Welsh Government yesterday (19 March).

Find out more about Community Clear Up Day.