Rubbish Roundup 23rd April

Rubbish roundup 23^rd April 

People that are caught dumping rubbish illegally are set to face on the spot fines of up to £400 as local authorities clamp down on fly-tipping. Councils hope that the fines will discourage people from using unauthorised people to get rid of their waste.

Recorded incidents of fly-tipping rose to over one million last year, and over two-thirds of the dumped waste were household items.

The fines will be introduced in the autumn and will make it easier to prosecute people. Many cases don’t make it to court because of the high costs of prosecuting cases.

The government say that the fines will reinforce existing legislation and it’s not just about punishing people or raising money for the councils.

An MP in Grantham took to the streets to clean up litter after one of her constituents complained to her about the levels of rubbish in the local area. A group of local volunteers, including other MPs turned out alongside Dr Caroline Johnson and collected 30 bags of rubbish, much of which had been thrown from cars. A lot of roadside litter is thrown from cars, even though a law was recently passed that makes the registered keeper of a car liable for any rubbish thrown from it. The MP branded littering as disgusting, inconsiderate, and senseless.

Read more at: https://www.granthamjournal.co.uk/news/mp-stages-litter-pick-just-outside-grantham-1-8467327

Image courtesy of Keep Britain Tidy

Surfers and swimmers took part in the first ever marine litter pick off the north coast of Ireland. The National Trust joined marine businesses and volunteers to clear litter to mark World Heritage Day. They went out in boats and cleared the bays between Dunseverick Castle and the Giant’s Causeway and found a whole fishing net and large amounts of rope as well as other debris. The Giant’s Causeway is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The National Trust say that they are very pleased to be working with other businesses and organisations to help protect the environment and wildlife habitats.

A report that was released recently found that 82% of marine litter found in 2017 was plastic, and 30% of this was single-use.

The National Trust does daily litter picks on land, but this is the first time that they have taken to the sea to clear plastics and other waste from the water and coastline

.