See a problem - Tell us about it
If you are aware of any street cleaning problems, whether it be litter, fly tipped waste, dog fouling, litter bins full (or damaged), abandoned vehicles and so on, please take the time to let us know and we can respond outside of our normal cleaning schedule.
You can email the details to waste.management@stedsbc.gov.uk or phone 01284 757320.
We will attend to the problem as soon as we can.
Litter
People drop litter every minute of every day. The problem is immense and costly. On average, St Edmundsbury Borough Council will spend £1,125,000 on cleaning the streets each year. St Edmundsbury Borough Council picks up over 1,600 tonnes of litter from the streets in the borough. That is the equivalent of 1000 average sized family cars. To achieve this we employ 36 cleansing staff and maintain 462 litter bins and 191 dog litter bins.
The offence of leaving litter (section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990) says that if a person drops, throws, deposits or leaves anything so as to cause defacement in a public place, they could be committing a littering offence. It is a crime to drop litter if it happens in a public place. In the St Edmundsbury area, Enforcement Officers may issue on-the-spot fixed penalty notices, with a fine of £80, to anyone observed breaking the law.
Litter is unsightly - litter dropped around the borough causes a blight on the landscape. Litter doesn't just disappear! If litter is not picked up, it will take many years to decompose. See below:
- banana skins / fruit peelings - 2 years
- cigarette ends - 2 years
- drinks cans - 80 - 100 years
- plastic bottles - 100+ years
- plastic carrier bags - 100+ years
Don't litter when you're out, make sure you use a litter bin - dropping it on the ground could result in a £80 fine!
Spillages
Spillages from road vehicles can be cleared by the council. Please contact the engineering services on 01284 757320 or email waste.management@stedsbc.gov.uk. If the spillage happens out of normal office hours, phone 01284 763252.
