A survey of residents last year gave Suffolk Coastal top marks
in the county for cleanliness, and placed it third out of 56
districts across the country, but the Council now wants help to
make the area even cleaner and greener.
Suffolk Coastal is part of the countywide Spring Clean campaign
and is urging residents to join in and give up a bit of time to
make the district look more spick and span.
“I am asking residents to organise or join in a Spring Clean of
their area. For anyone who would like to carry out a litter pick,
Suffolk Coastal Services (SCS) can provide sacks and gloves, plus a
collection service after their efforts,” said Cllr Andrew Nunn,
Cabinet Member for the Green Environment.
“It is really easy to register an event - just contact SCS on
01394 444000. Last year, nearly 2,000 volunteers joined in and
cleared up the equivalent of more than 2,600 sacks of litter in the
district.
“SCS are the Council’s partner organisation who carry out
recycling and refuse collection and litter collection as part of
their duties. Last year the Council spent £600,000 clearing up
streets, parks, beaches and roadsides of litter, and with your help
we can cut that bill and make it an even cleaner, greener
district,” added Cllr Nunn.
Littering is against the law and anyone caught dropping litter
face a Fixed Penalty Fine of £80, or court proceedings which could
result in a conviction and a fine of up to £2,500.
The penalties for fly-tipping are even heavier. Fly-tipping is
officially the act of illegally depositing waste onto any land
where there is no licence to accept waste. Anyone caught
fly-tipping could face a fine of up to £50,000 or up to five years
in prison. To report fly-tipping or dropped litter of any sort,
call SCS on 01394 444000 who will clear it up and attempt to catch
the person responsible.
Some tips on how the public can cut down on litter
- Never drop rubbish or leave it behind - take it home
- Use a litter bin if there is one available – there are nearly
1,500 in the district
- Recycle it if possible
- Place your household waste and recyclables into the correct
wheeled bin if you have them
- If you do not have the wheeled bins yet, tie your household
waste sacks and store them in a dustbin on your property to prevent
animals from ripping them open and scattering the contents. When
you put out paper for the fortnightly recycling collection, place
the black sack on top of the paper
- Never leave general waste at local recycling points - it is
fly-tipping and is illegal
- Please do not leave recyclables on the ground at local
recycling points. If the recycling banks are full, report them to
us on 01394 444000.