Now that the clocks have gone forward, more people are turning their attention to outdoor pursuits. Cotswold District Council is preparing for an upturn in activities which generate waste. As well as promoting the composting of garden waste through the garden waste collection service, the Council is urging residents and visitors to follow some simple steps which will help to ensure that the area is free of unsightly litter.
Hold onto your carrier bag, use it to collect up your empty cans and bottles and other litter such as sandwich packets and snack wrappers then put the contents in an appropriate recycling or waste bin, the council advises.
Posters based on this HELP theme have been sent to parish and town clerks for display across the district, and the council will be reinforcing the message through its website and social media.
Head of the environment at the Council, Claire Locke, said: “Nobody likes to see our beautiful Cotswold towns and villages marred by unnecessary and thoughtless littering – it spoils the landscape and it also poses potential dangers for a wide range of wildlife. It only takes a few moments to dispose of litter sensibly. The Council provides waste bins across the whole District, and we are ensured that they are emptied on a more regular basis during Spring and Summer.
“If we catch people littering in the District we will not hesitate to take action against them. If found guilty of a littering offence, the penalty can be high – a maximum of £2,500 for persistent offenders – and the damage to a person’s reputation can be very costly in many ways when we name and shame them in public. The message is clear – if you have litter, please take responsibility for its safe disposal.”