More than 90% of the 1,140 miles of urban and rural sites Keep Britain Tidy surveyed over the past decade were found to contain litter, according to its new report.
A new report by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy shares the findings of the national litter surveys it has conducted each year since 2015.
Researchers found almost three times as much litter in the most deprived areas compared with the least deprived, while litter-free spaces were seven times less likely to be found in the most deprived communities.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive at Keep Britain Tidy, commented: “Our report is a wake-up call. It shows that litter is more than an eyesore – it prevents investment, creates inequality, damages the environment and makes people feel depressed and unsafe.
“It’s unacceptable that the most deprived communities are bearing the brunt of the country’s litter problem. We believe that everyone, wherever they live, should be able to take pride in their environment – but we cannot achieve this alone.”
It’s unacceptable that the most deprived communities are bearing the brunt of the country’s litter problem.
The most littered items were sweets and chocolate wrappers, which were found in 52% of surveyed sites, followed by drinks bottles and cans, which were present in 31% of all locations.
Fast food-related litter was present in 22% of areas, and crisps and snack packets in 16%.
However, this is different to public perception as 91% of survey respondents cited drinks-related litter as the most problematic type of litter.
Drink-related litter was found to be almost three times as prevalent in the most deprived areas compared with the least deprived locations.
The survey by Keep Britain Tidy found that 77% of people believe littering has gotten worse in recent years, with 70% noticing litter in their local area every day.
Responding to the report, Cllr Adam Hug, environment spokesperson for the LGA said: “Councils work hard to keep parks, streets and public spaces clean and free from unacceptable littering.
“Responsibility for clearing up litter lies with the person dropping it or leaving it behind. Councils run a range of awareness and clean-up campaigns, and Fixed Penalty Notices can be issued in cases where a person littering has been caught in the act.
“In order to reduce litter we must reduce overall waste. At a time when councils are facing significant financial pressures packaging producers must take responsibility for meeting the costs of disposing of this litter and in helping further reduce and recycle packaging waste.”
