West Northamptonshire is joining forces with other local authorities to ask ‘why do you drop litter?’

11 October 2024

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) is proud to be working with other local authorities on a campaign to reduce littering on the A5 and across our area.

The campaign aims to educate road users on how they can report litter dropped from a vehicle when they witness an offence and make those thinking of littering aware they could be liable for up to a £500 fine if they choose to do so.  

We’re asking why people drop litter – do they not care about the countryside, do they think others should clean up their mess, or are they an idiot?

Dropping litter from any vehicle, such as a car, van, lorry or scooter, is an offence and can result in a fixed penalty notice (FPN) being issued to the person dropping the litter by our Environmental Crime team.

Anyone can report littering offences online or via the West Northamptonshire Council app, available to download via the app store.

Signage will be displayed along the A5, as well as at petrol stations and across social media channels to highlight that littering anywhere is an offence.

“Looking after our environment is the responsibility of all, and we are committed to doing what we can to keep West Northants clean and green. We’re asking people to think about why they drop litter, in the hope that they will reconsider their thoughtless actions and use bins or take their waste with them.”Cllr Rebecca Breese, WNC’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Recycling and Waste

“Dropping litter anywhere is an offence and may result in offenders receiving a fixed penalty notice of up to £500. Carelessly discarding rubbish has a negative impact on our environment and the taxpayer pays for clean-up costs. We welcome the support of our communities in bringing people who do so to justice.”Cllr Matt Golby, WNC’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Regulatory Services