Nottingham City Council today (Tuesday 10 April) launches a campaign asking Nottingham residents to play their part in reducing litter.
Everyone is being encouraged to keep Nottingham clean by picking up and binning a piece of litter when they are out and about. If everyone in the city picked up a piece of litter, it would make a huge difference, reducing the amount of litter lying around and sending a clear message that people in Nottingham take pride in their city.
In a recent City Council survey, 97% of people in Nottingham agreed that everyone has a responsibility to clean up after themselves.
Respondents had passionate views about litter, saying “If you litter you don’t respect the place you’re in”, “I believe it is everyone’s responsibility to keep our city clean and litter free” and “I’m proud of my city and see it as an extension of my home. Litter goes in the bin at home.. It’s just downright wrong and stupid to drop litter outside.”
Cllr Sally Longford, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Services and Local Transport at Nottingham City Council, said: “Litter is a persistent problem that the council takes seriously, spending over £7million a year on street cleaning. However, we can’t solve this by ourselves, so the more we work together to tackle litter, the cleaner our streets will be – and the more the minority of litterers will get the message that their actions are completely unacceptable.
“Together, we CAN make a difference – and keep Nottingham clean.”
What else can people do to help?
Everyone can help keep the city clean – by reporting issues to the council such as dog fouling, a litter hotspot or a fly-tip. Our new Radio Control Team use the reports and locate the closest team so the problem can be dealt with as soon as possible – and almost always sort it within 48 hours. The faster council teams know, the quicker issues can be fixed. Reports can be made by reporting it online (with the option to upload a picture).
What else is the Council doing?
Nottingham’s one hundred Community Protection Officers work daily to fine people caught littering (£75 fine), fly-tipping (£300 fine) or dog fouling (£70 fine). Dog walkers are also fined £70 if they’re caught walking their dog without a poo bag to clean up after it.
In order to prevent flytips and dispose of rubbish properly, Nottingham City Council is one of a handful of councils in the UK that offer a completely free collection of large household waste items. In 2017/18 , over 43,000 items were collected. The most common items were broken washing machines, TVs, fridges, mattresses and sofas, but the free bulky waste operatives will take almost all household items. Nottingham residents can request a collection online at www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/bulkywaste
Nottingham City Council supports nearly 200 Clean Champions – members of the local community who volunteer and receive free litter picking equipment and help to dispose of rubbish collected, plus a direct line to our Radio Control Room to report other issues the Council needs to step in and deal with, including flytips, dog fouling and broken glass. www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/cleanchampions