Litter and Litter bins
Littering
Littering leaves our borough looking unclean, but it causes huge damage to our environment and harms the animals living there. It can also pollute and contaminate streams, rivers, and water courses.
Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1990 states that if a person drops, throws, deposits or leaves anything to cause defacement in a public place, they could be committing a littering offence.
The legislation is complex and the easiest way to understand it is to refer to the booklet 'Litter and the Law - a guide for the public'. Copies of this booklet are available from the Keep Britain Tidy website.
Almost anything that is either dropped, thrown, deposited or left to cause defacement in a public place, could be classed as a littering. Dropping litter (littering) from any vehicle, such as a car, van, lorry or scooter, is also an offence.
The most littered items are:
- cigarette butts
- chewing gum
- food and drink packaging (bags, cups, cartons & serving items)
- soft drinks bottles and cans
- tissues
- receipts
- fast-food related items
If you or anyone over the age of 10 is caught littering, you could be issued a Fixed Penalty Notice of £100. This is reduced to £50 for early repayment. If convicted, you could face a fine of up to £2,500. You can find more information about this on the Less Waste website.
Report Littering
You can report littering to us through our online form below. To report an offence you will need the following information:
- The item(s) which were dropped or thrown.
- Date, time and location the littering took place.
- Your contact details.
- If offence occurred from a vehicle: Vehicle details (make, model, colour, registration number).
- If offence occurred on foot or cycle: description of the offender
You will also need to be willing to make and sign a witness statement, without this we will not be able to progress with the complaint.
Litter bins
We are responsible for the provision, installation, maintenance and emptying of litter bins in Melton Mowbray Town Centre and the Country Park.
The bins are emptied every day in the town centre and twice a week outside the majority of the shops and Post Offices within Melton Mowbray.
In residential areas in Melton Mowbray, the bins should be emptied once a week.
The bins in the villages are provided by the relevant local Parish Council. Litter bins in the villages should be emptied once a week on refuse collection day.
Bins in the Country Park are emptied twice a week during the school term time, and three times a week during the school holidays.
Report a full bin
If you see a litter bin which needs emptying or which has been vandalised, please report it to us.
On receiving this information will first check the emptying schedule for the area where the bin is located. If the bin is due to be emptied the next day no further action will be taken. Should the due date not be the next day the contractor concerned will be requested to empty the bin or we will inspect the bin and should it be considered necessary, arrangements will be made to have the bin repaired or cleaned.