New fines for litter louts

In April, local authorities were given new rights to issue on-the-spot fines of up to £150 to people caught littering in public places. For the first time, these fines can now be issued to motorists who throw rubbish from a moving vehicle, if the offending car can be proven to be the source of the litter. At Amberol, our wide range of outdoor recycling bins is designed to help tackle the blight of litter on the streets of the UK and we welcome any efforts to further reduce the problem. 

Why should the new fine make a difference? 

Previously, the maximum on-the-spot fine was £80, so it’s hoped the fact that the penalty has almost doubled will deter more people from casually dropping litter on the pavement or leaving behind the debris of their picnics in parks and on beaches this summer and beyond. The Environment Minister Therese Coffrey said: “Littering blights our communities, spoils our countryside and taxpayers’ money is wasted cleaning it up.”

Indeed with an annual taxpayer bill of £800m for cleaning up our towns and rural areas, financially-stretched local authorities are in dire need of a reduction in their enormous street-cleaning bills.  

Making motorists clean up their act 

The aim of the new fines for drivers who toss litter from their cars is to discourage this thoughtless behaviour that is a particular issue on motorway slip roads and exits across the UK.  In a survey carried out in 2017, a shocking one in seven drivers admitted to throwing litter from their cars within the past month. With this in mind, it’s not surprising that Highways England reports having to remove 200 000 sacks of litter from motorway verges every year. Therese Coffey commented, “Throwing rubbish from a vehicle is just as unacceptable as dropping it in the street and we will tackle this antisocial behaviour by hitting litter louts in the pocket.”

How do the litter fines work?

As mentioned, the fines for motorists can only be enforced if the litter-dropping can be proven. However, in cases where a fine is applied, the owner of the car will be fined even if they are not the person who threw the litter. More generally, councils have been asked to exercise good judgement when issuing fines, based on factors like ability to pay, so that the fines are not seen as simply a way of raising revenue. 

The new fine structure is as follows: 

• The minimum fine has increased from £50 to £65 
• The default fine has gone up from £75 to £100 
• The maximum fine has risen from £80 to £150 

If you are looking for the right bin for your communal space, contact Amberol on 0773 830 930 to discuss which of our wide and versatile range will be best for you.