Cabinet considers new litter strategy

North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) is set to adopt a new litter strategy to help take better care of the environment.

Cabinet members are meeting on Wednesday 16 June to discuss a report that sets out the aims of the new strategy and why it is needed. The strategy focuses on:

• The causes and types of litter
• How NELC manages litter
• The Council’s ambitions for the future (for example, following the national guidance on litter management, focusing on education through work with schools and community groups, and enforcement against those who drop litter
• Monitoring the progress of the strategy.

Between 2016 and 2017, it is estimated that local authorities in England spent £682 million, or £29 per household dealing with litter. The Council spends about £1.5 million on street cleansing each year.

North East Lincolnshire has a range of areas with different demands, from urban town centres and the coastal resort to the Lincolnshire Wolds and suburban estates.

The new litter strategy ties in with the Waste Strategy adopted in 2020. It builds on the commitment to manage waste and recycling effectively and move towards a circular economy.

To find out more, visit https://democracy.nelincs.gov.uk/meetings/cabinet/.

Cllr Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for Environment and Transport, said:

“Litter is a big problem for everyone. We all have a part to play in keeping our environment clean and tidy.

“We already do a lot of work to tackle litter and encourage people to care for the environment, the new strategy provides a framework for our approach in the future and takes advantage of national best practice.

“One element of this is making sure we have the right bins in the right location. For example, in some areas we are looking into the introduction of bins with underground storage that can hold much more rubbish than a standard litter bin.”

The strategy is prompted by the government’s National Litter Strategy for England (2017) and the Waste Resources Action Programme’s (WRAP’s) ‘Right Bin in the Right Place’ guidance published in October 2020.

It aims to frame those documents in terms of a local approach based on the needs of the area and aligned to the wider strategic priorities of the Council.