Litter Day of Action - 9 June 2011
About the campaign
Anyone caught dropping litter can receive a Fixed Penalty Notice of £50 or referral to the Procurator Fiscal for the consideration of a prosecution. However, research carried out by Keep Scotland Tidy has indicated that while people are aware that it is an offence to drop litter, there is not enough publicity about people receiving a fine to make it a credible threat or deterrent.
Research commissioned by Keep Scotland Beautiful into 'Public Attitudes to Litter & Littering in Scotland' identified enforcement and fines as one of the biggest deterrents to dropping litter. However, to be effective, enforcement powers have to be used appropriately and consistently.
To encourage local councils to increase use of the powers available to them, Keep Scotland Beautiful coordinates an annual Litter Day of Action, where council enforcement officers and the police join forces to demonstrate a zero tolerance approach towards dropping litter. The fourth Litter Day of Action will take place on Thursday 9 June 2011.
Keep Scotland Beautiful encourages members of the public to dispose of their litter in a responsible way every day – but the Litter Day of Action works as a reminder and added incentive to put litter in the bin. Failure to do so could lead to a Fixed Penalty Notice of £50 or referral to the Procurator Fiscal for the consideration of a prosecution.
Campaign Aims
- To raise the profile of littering and dog fouling, and to reduce the incidence of these in Scotland.
- To stimulate enhanced use of the enforcement powers available to local authorities.
- To demonstrate to the public through joint patrols that the enforcement agencies have a serious desire to tackle these crimes.
- To demonstrate to the Scottish Government the commitment of Scottish local authorities and police forces to work in partnership to contribute to the Greener, and Safer and Stronger Strategic Objectives.
- To develop local partnerships that will continue to be of benefit beyond the Litter Day of Action.
Results 2010
All 32 Scottish local authorities and the eight police forces are invited to support the campaign. In 2010, 18 local authorities
and four police forces took part, supplying a total of 235 officers on the day. The combined efforts of 14 local authority areas
issued a total of 313 fixed penalty notices between them to litterers on that day.
Campaign Briefing Session 2011
A campaign Briefing Session will be held at the Keep Scotland Beautiful Office in Stirling on Thursday 19 May 2011, 10am – 12 noon. This is a free event for officers taking part in the campaign, in particular those who are new to enforcement or may be working alone.
Further Information
For further information on this campaign, please contact the People and Places team on 01786 471333.