Tackling Litter is Everyone's Business

Tackling Litter is Everyone’s Business

Businesses in Stafford are being encouraged by the borough council to pledge their support to help tackle litter in the area. Keeping the borough’s streets clean costs around £1 million every year.

The council is launching a campaign to get businesses to sign up and pledge that they will keep the areas around their premises clear of litter. There will be stalls in the local market place providing information on environmental crime, and promoting community actions to tackle litter.

The local authority has stepped up fines for littering in the past year, and 150 people have been given on the spot fixed penalties.

The council say that a clean borough is more attractive to live in, for people who visit, and for potential investors, and they are calling on businesses to do their bit.

How can businesses help to tackle litter?

• Check whether they have recycling facilities for customers and staff, and places to dispose of cigarettes correctly.
• Measure recycling rates and set targets to improve upon them.
• Review how much waste they generate and how this can be reduced or disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.
• Educate staff on why reducing litter is important, especially cigarette litter and chewing gum, as these are the most commonly discarded items around business premises.
• Nominate staff litter champions and praise positive action.
• Organise staff litter picking events around the business premises and local area. This sets an excellent example.
• If they sell products, could they package them in a way that is kinder to the environment?
• Let the community (and the world!) know what they are doing to help the environment on their social media channels.

McDonalds set an example

McDonalds have been working for over 30 years to clean up the litter from the streets around their restaurants. They were the first fast food company to introduce litter patrols, and since 1982, staff have gone out on daily patrols to clear up litter in their local area. The staff who do the patrols cover an impressive 3000 miles per week, and they pick up all litter, not just McDonalds packaging.

The company also works with the charities Keep Britain Tidy, Keep Wales Tidy, Keep Scotland Beautiful and Tidy Northern Ireland. They joined the Love Where You Live campaign with keep Britain Tidy, which encourages people not to discard litter, and take pride in the area they live in. McDonalds has contributed funding to Love Where You Live, and they have taken part in hundreds of clean up events across the country.

They have added the Tidyman logo to their packaging to encourage customers to dispose of their litter responsibly, and they have full-time ‘litter champions’ in London, Manchester and Glasgow, who pick up litter all around the city centres.