£300,000 available for community litter groups

Building on the government’s wider Litter Strategy for England, Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey has opened the second round of funding for community projects that get tough on litter.

The first round of funding saw a number of councils, charities, businesses, and public projects awarded almost £125,000 to take innovative steps to tackle littering in their communities, including measures to tackle littering by football fans, and working with hauliers and business owners to reduce roadside litter.

A worrying one in five people admit to dropping litter, with a recent study showing one in four people admit to ‘careful littering’ such as leaving drinks cans or coffee cups on window ledges. The Litter Innovation Fund application window closes 5 October.

Coffey said: “This government is tough on tackling litter which if left unchecked makes our towns and cities less pleasant places, poisons our wildlife, and blights our countryside. That is why we are providing grants of up to £10,000 for communities to come up with creative solutions to tackle litter in their local area and I encourage local groups to apply. It is only through government and communities working together that we will affect the long-term behavioural change that is needed to tackle this scourge, and leave the environment in a better state than we inherited it.”

Keep Britain Tidy chief executive Allison Ogden-Newton said: “Innovation is a vital part of turning the tide on litter. We need to find new ways to change the behaviour of those who think it is OK to drop their rubbish on the ground and new solutions that make it easier for people to do the right thing. It is fantastic to see the government supporting innovation through this scheme, which is helping organisations and communities develop exciting new ideas and approaches, and at Keep Britain Tidy we are delighted to be receiving funds to enable us to test new behavioural interventions through our award-winning Centre for Social Innovation.”

As part of the Fund, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs is also preparing to launch a ‘digital innovation challenge’ to help find innovative digital and technological solutions to local litter challenges.