Caught for discarding cigarette buts, drinks cans and food wrappers
The on-going efforts to deter litter bugs from tarnishing the borough’s streets has seen another 22 on-the-spot fines handed out in the past fortnight.
The litter louts were collared outside local rail and tube stations and hit with £80 fines. Those who don't pay will have to go to court where magistrates could impose fines of up to £2,500.
Most were guilty of throwing half smoked cigarette butts on the ground, although others were caught dumping drinks cans, sweet wrappers and food packaging.
Smoking related debris now accounts for 90 per cent of the litter on Wandsworth's streets and picking this up and keeping the borough's streets clean and tidy is currently costing local council taxpayers just under £4m a year.
The council's waste enforcement team, which handed out the fines, had with them a large perspex dustbin containing all the litter that had been picked up from the surrounding area's streets that day - to highlight to local people the harmful impact of litter on local neighbourhoods.
As well as targeting individual litter bugs, the council is also pursuing other measures to tackle the problem.
This includes employing a fleet of new energy efficient vehicles to clean streets and concerted action against businesses that try to save money by unlawfully dumping their waste on the highway.
By law businesses must have a contract with an approved contractor for the removal and disposal of their commercial waste. They must also keep records and receipts to prove they have complied with these rules. It is unlawful for them to use taxpayer-funded refuse collection services.
The council is working with businesses to keep town centre streets clean by allotting specific time bands when shops and companies can leave their waste out for collection by their contractors. This is designed to stop pavements being cluttered with unsightly binbags or refuse containers. Businesses who flout these time band rules and leave their waste on the highway for unreasonable lengths of time face being penalised.
Businesses can find full details about their legal responsibilities at www.wandsworth.gov.uk/waste.
If people see rubbish being dumped or flytipped, email wasteservices@wandsworth.gov.uk or call (020) 8871 8249
July 4, 2013