Littering

Litter Enforcement

Litter is simply people leaving their waste in parks, streets, stuck to pavements or dropping it out of the car window. It can be anything from a small piece of chewed gum to large bags of rubbish.

Put together, these small and large pieces of litter can make an area look untidy - and with your help we can clean up our neighbourhoods.

Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, we can issue an immediate Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) if we catch someone littering - and if convicted in court you could face a fine of up to £2,500.

Please report any acts of littering you see : Littering - Your details - Section 1 - North West Leicestershire District Council

Our easy to follow littering enforcement process can be found here: Littering Enforcement Process (PDF Document, 0.16 Mb)

Love your Neighbourhood

During 2022 to 2024, the council ran a Zero Litter campaign which involved taking a ‘one team, one council’ approach to reduce litter, change behaviour and educate people about the impact of littering.

This campaign was very successful, and to continue its success and expand into a bigger campaign involving more teams from across the council Love Your Neighbourhood has been developed.

This is a three year campaign to continue the focus on reducing litter, changing behaviour and educating people.

Volunteer Litter Picking - Free Equipment

Volunteer litter pickers in North West Leicestershire can now register and sign up to receive free litter picking equipment including hi-visibility vests, litter pickers and collection bags.

Sign up here: Litter Picker Volunteer - North West Leicestershire District Council (achieveservice.com)

Staying Safe when Litter Picking

Litter pickers in North West Leicestershire are among the best in Leicestershire, and we appreciate all of the work of volunteers like you who help to keep the district clean and tidy.

The number of litter pickers in the district has increased significantly in recent years, and we’re really proud of everyone who dedicates any of their time to collecting litter from communities.

In 2021 we produced a guide for all litter pickers in the area, sharing our tips for keeping safe and ensuring you receive the most support for your efforts. If you’re new to litter picking in the area, or it has been a while since you’ve reviewed the guide, please do familiarise yourself with it to ensure you’re being as safe as possible while volunteering. Guidance for litter pickers 2021 (PDF Document, 2.12 Mb)

We know there are grot spots across the district, please be assured that teams across the authority are working to reduce these.

Our commitments:

• We will fine anyone who is caught littering.

• We will fine individuals and businesses for fly tipping offences where there is evidence.

• We will continue our annual litter pick of the A42.  
• We will visit schools and other organisations to educate young people about disposing of waste correctly and environmental crime.
• We will encourage everyone to reduce, reuse and recycle.
• We will remind businesses of their legal responsibility to ensure their waste is disposed of legally and without harming the environment.
• We will continue to offer a trade waste service to support businesses to safely dispose of their waste.

What we ask of you:

• Keep yourself safe – wear a hi-vis, gloves and suitable shoes and clothing
• Report your litter picking to us so we can collect it
• Avoid picking on busy roads or where speed limits exceed 30 mph.
• Try to stay in sight and earshot of others or let someone know where you’re going and when to expect you back.
• If picking on private land, please obtain prior permission from the landowner before you start and do not place the bagged waste onto public land as it will be the landowner’s responsibility to dispose of the waste.
• Please also be mindful that most industrial areas have not been adopted therefore are classed as private land.  Also, these areas often have a high volume of traffic which could raise concerns for your safety.

If you have any questions about land ownership or have any concerns in relation to litter picking, then please contact the Environmental Protection Team on 01530 454545

If you've litter picked recently, book a collection for your bagged litter here.

Schools Package

The Environmental Protection Team is committed to looking after the physical environment and providing information for future generations.  We offer free workshops tackling littering, dog fouling, fly tipping, and graffiti issues.

If you would like to organise some free activities please contact us at North West Leicestershire District Council, Environmental Protection Team on 01530 454545