Government Response

The Government responded to this petition on Thursday 22nd April 2021

Having launched the “Keep It, Bin It” campaign in 2018 with Keep Britain Tidy, Defra continues to support this campaign and raise awareness of the impacts of littering through other means.

The “Keep it, Bin it” anti-litter campaign encourages people to dispose of their litter responsibly, calling time on rubbish excuses for littering and telling people to keep hold of their rubbish until they find a bin. The campaign has been publicised through various media channels, most notably targeted social media advertisements online, as well as digital display sites at travel hubs across England, thanks to advertising space provided by partners.

With more people enjoying the outdoors than ever before, we have recently published an updated version of the Countryside Code to help people enjoy the countryside in a safe and respectful way. The update - the first in over a decade - has been shaped by nearly 4,000 stakeholder responses to an online survey, which sought views on best practices for visiting the countryside and protecting the natural environment. The Code can be viewed on gov.uk at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-countryside-code

Minister Pow recently spoke at the launch of Keep Britain Tidy’s 2021 Great British Spring Clean, encouraging everyone to get involved. By doing so, we are setting the tone for the summer ahead, by showing that litter is not acceptable, and that people care deeply about protecting their local environment.

Last summer, in response to COVID-19, Defra developed a ‘Respect the Outdoors’ campaign to encourage people to follow the Countryside Code and to highlight the impacts of littering. This was promoted both online and in locations across the country near to urban parks, beaches and National Parks. We also supported, and provided funding for, Keep Britain Tidy’s Love Parks campaign, which encouraged people to treat our parks with respect.

We are also raising awareness via social media of what individuals can do to protect wildlife and the environment, including in relation to litter. This includes a short video that reminds everyone to take their rubbish home if there are no bins available, which we posted during the recent Easter bank holiday weekend. This can be found at: 
https://twitter.com/DefraGovUK/status/1377870950692102146?s=20

The Eco-Schools programme, run in England by Keep Britain Tidy, works with schools to change littering habits. Currently, around 80% of schools in England are participating in this programme to improve sustainability and reduce waste in their schools and communities. That number is growing, putting young people at the heart of environmental issues. More information about the programme can be found at:
www.eco-schools.org.uk

We published the Litter Strategy for England in April 2017, setting out our aim to deliver a substantial reduction in litter and littering within a generation. The Litter Strategy brings together communities, businesses, charities and schools to bring about real change by focusing on three key themes: education and awareness; improving enforcement; and better cleaning and access to bins. A copy of the Litter Strategy can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/litter-strategy-for-england

Local councils are responsible for keeping their public land clear of litter and refuse. It is up to councils to decide how best to meet this statutory duty. To help them, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), on behalf of Defra and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, has recently published guidance for local authorities and Business Improvement Districts in England on the provision of litter bins.  ‘The Right Bin in the Right Place’ guidance is available at:
https://wrap.org.uk/content/binfrastructure-right-bin-right-place

In support of this guidance, WRAP recently ran a grant competition (funded by Defra) for local authorities in England to apply for grants of between £10,000 and £25,000 to purchase new litter bins. In total, 44 applications were approved, worth almost a million pounds. These new bins should help local authorities reduce litter through targeted interventions, where they are most needed.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs