Keep Britain Tidy is to review and update guidance for land managers about the way litter and refuse should be managed in England.
The environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy has been appointed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to update the guidance.
Commenting on the announcement, Defra Resources and Waste Minister, Rebecca Pow, said: “We are committed to supporting councils to combat litter. That’s why we have provided nearly £1 million for local authorities to purchase new bins, increased the upper limit for on-the-spot fines and published guidance on effective enforcement.
“I am pleased that Keep Britain Tidy will also be reviewing and updating the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse, building on the government’s Litter Strategy, to improve the quality of the local environment for everyone.”
We are committed to supporting councils to combat litter.
The Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse provides practical guidance to local authorities and other duty bodies on how to comply with their legal obligation to keep land clear of litter and refuse. It also provides a set of recovery times for duty bodies to address problems with litter, refuse and detritus should they fall below the prescribed standard.
Keep Britain Tidy says it will now be working to revise the code to reflect changes in legislation and the technological, economic and social environment in which land managers now operate, while also clarifying some of the standards described in the code.
The charity says it will consult with stakeholders, including local authorities and other managers of publicly accessible land, in the coming months to help revise the code. The review will also look at guidance on dealing with litter on land with “special circumstances”, such as the carriageways verges, and central reservations of motorways and trunk roads.
We are committed to working closely with all stakeholders to develop a new code that is fit for purpose.
Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, commented: “We are committed to working closely with all stakeholders to develop a new code that is fit for purpose and meets the needs of everyone involved in litter management.
“It will help to ensure that our communities are clean and tidy and that we are doing everything we can to reduce the environmental impact of litter.”