Litter pickers peaking but roads need a good sweeping
February 1st 2007

For the first time since ENCAMS Local

Environmental Quality Survey of

England (LEQSE) report's inception in

2001, litter levels have dropped in the

UK. But there's also bad news: the

mounds of dirt, grit and grime are

growing. So ENCAMS is looking ahead

to another busy year helping to keep

Britain tidy

Last year the amount of litter reduced on our streets nationally

- yet those same streets got dirtier. This may sound like a

Countdown conundrum best suited to the mind of Carol

Vorderman, but before you reach for your Sudoku book to deal with

numbers rather than word play; ENCAMS (the independent charity

behind the Keep Britain Tidy campaign) has the answer to this little

riddle.

And it is … that councils and authorities have cleaned up their

act on clearing up litter. That's because litter pickers are out at the

right time, with the right equipment and with sufficient training to

deal with the common blights like cigarette ends, crisp packets,

carrier bags and newspapers blowing around our streets.

But, when it comes to dealing with detritus – the mounds of dirt,

grit and grime that collate on our pavements – there's a different

tale to tell. These mini mountains are moving: upwards. It seems

that as authorities polish their skills in litter picking the actual

scrubbing and sweeping of the streets is suffering varying levels of

neglect.

These revelations came from ENCAMS Local Environmental

Quality Survey of England (LEQSE) 2006 report. This looks at 12,000

sites across the country and assesses how bad a state of affairs the

streets are, or aren't, in. Not only does it look at litter levels but the

amount of graffiti, fly-posting and dumped junk is also measured.

On top of that the condition of pavements, bins, lampposts and

other bits of street furniture also come under scrutiny. And the

reason – you can't fix it if you don't know it's broken.

For five years now this mammoth survey has been undertaken

giving national and regional information on environmental trends.

Not only does it make ENCAMS and the Government's Department

for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), who commission

the survey,'know it alls' on what plagues the state – but also it

informs the work ENCAMS does.

The results of LEQSE help ENCAMS to focus its efforts in the right

places, so that time and resources are concentrated on issues that

are a big problem – and affect the condition of communities. Plus it

gives indications on how best to deal with these matters. For

example, the reporting that detritus is on the rise shows more street

sweepers could benefit from proper training – which means

ENCAMS street cleaning training course needs to be delivered to

more authorities.

Reducing litter levels for the first time in 2006 was a major

achievement for ENCAMS. But there is certainly no air of 'a job well

done and that is that.' Looking at the LEQSE data showed

that fast food litter is still a major problem – the second

biggest blight behind smoking related litter.

Not only can the survey show what England is suffering

from most, but it also shows the regions worst affected.

For the past few years the North West has found itself

hovering around the end of the table. In the most recent

survey it was ranked eighth out of nine regions. This

means that those living in the North West have to endure a

local environment that is not up to scratch. Recognising

this sliding trend ENCAMS decided it needed to take

action.

For the North West to improve it needs to receive some

serious attention, that's why a pilot programme was

launched in November to try to make it the cleanest, safest

and greenest region in the country. By bringing together

seven councils and organisations like the North West

Development Agency and Lancashire Economic

Partnership ENCAMS is able to share its expertise and really

gather some momentum towards improving the region.

The councils involved; Carlisle, Preston, South Ribble,

Wigan, Stockport, Oldham and Vale Royal, will each engage

in market research to find out what problems they suffer

from most. Although the LEQSE report can tell us the

biggest issues for the region, it doesn't break down by

town, city or district. So, by canvassing public opinion or

monitoring hotspot areas identified by each council,

ENCAMS can establish exactly what needs to be done and

where. Also, the project will develop tailored training

courses to help up-skill staff and campaign to the public.

It's not only LEQSE that informs the type of work

ENCAMS will engage in, developments like the ban on

smoking in public places also have an affect. Late last year

it was announced that from July 1st 2007 no-one will be

able to smoke in any bar, pub, restaurant or workplace in

England. Which means smokers will be filtering out onto

the streets instead.

Although there are a good proportion of smokers who act

responsibly, some still habitually drop their fag ends on the floor

instead of putting them in the bin. After smoking in public places

was banned in the Republic of Ireland, 61% of Irish people believe

that it led to a rise in cigarette rubbish. ENCAMS recognises that

some smokers have reservations about binning their butts because

of fire concerns, but with many litter bins now carrying stub plates

on top to extinguish cigarettes, there's no excuse. Under the Keep

Britain Tidy banner, ENCAMS will be campaigning in the run up to

the ban to encourage smokers to bin their butts properly.

As well as running the Keep Britain Tidy campaign, ENCAMS looks

after a number of other environmental programmes. To encourage

children to do their bit – and think about the environmental

consequences of their actions – the Eco-Schools programme gives

any school the opportunity to pledge to improve the environment.

Last year was very successful for Eco-Schools with backing from the

likes of electrical retailer Currys stumping up £100,000 for schools

to use for environmental projects.

International bank, HSBC, also leant its support in a number of

ways – including listing ENCAMS as a beneficiary of its Green Sale.

This meant that throughout January HSBC offered great deals on a

15

Environmental Cleaning

wide range of its most popular products and services for its

customers. For every Green Sale product sold HSBC contributed £2

to be shared equally between ENCAMS and three other

environmental charities.

One of the most exciting things happening in 2007 is the launch

of a brand new award scheme for beaches. The Quality Coast

Award is open to any beach in England that can offer visitors top

standards in cleanliness and facilities. Recognising that not every

beach is the same – some are rural retreats with stunning

headlands, others have fantastically clean water ideal for those who

fancy a swim - ENCAMS wants to encourage people to visit the

right beaches at the right time. The award system will be coupled

with a website where members of the public can identify what they

want or need when visiting a beach and the site will recommend

the best locations to go to. The first award winners will be

announced in April.

2007 will certainly present a number of environmental

challenges but ENCAMS is sure that with its objective in mind –

to make communities cleaner, safer and greener for all – there

will be definitely be some

success.

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