If you smoke, bin it or face the fine! This is the message from Rhondda Cynon Taf Council as a report reveals smoking related waste is the highest cause of litter on our streets.
In the Local Environmental and Auditing Management Systems (LEAMS) report for 2010/2011 it was found that 96.1% of all streets across the County Borough are littered with discarded cigarette butts.
Cigarette butts are often seen thrown from moving vehicles by motorists and passengers alike. Other smokers may discard their cigarette butt on the floor when entering a premises. Whatever the reason, dropping cigarette butts is a littering offence and will be dealt with if the culprit is caught by a member of the team.
Some of the areas of regular surveillance include roundabouts or junctions to major roads where drivers often throw the cigarette end through the car window before they make a major manoeuvre. Since the implementation of the Smoking Ban in April 2007, there has also been a rise in cigarette litter found in our streets and outside premises, particularly licensed premises in the County Borough.
The Enforcement Officers continue a comprehensive crackdown on litter, dog fouling, flyposting, flytipping, graffiti, cigarette butts and waste issues throughout the County Borough. This is to ensure that Rhondda Cynon Taf will be a clean, green and safe community for everyone to live, work and visit.
With enforcement powers available, officers can serve notices on people that can also lead to prosecution which could result in fines or even imprisonment. Since April 2009 more than 632 fixed penalty notices were issued to individuals who committed acts of environmental crime, which includes cigarette butts. This has resulted in environmental criminals coughing up a whopping £47,400, which could be avoided by using the waste facilities available.
Of these the greater majority were issued for those individuals who discarded rubbish from their vehicles – ranging from cigarette butts to banana skins. Refusal to pay the £75 notices led to some of these being dealt with at Magistrates Court and often resulting in several hundred pounds worth of fines and costs being imposed on them when found guilty.
The Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Frontline Services Cllr Anthony Christopher said: “We are very fortunate to have such a pro-active and enthusiastic Streetcare Team who remain committed to using innovative schemes and initiatives to combat these blights on our towns and villages.
“People often don’t realize that discarding cigarette butts on the floor is an offence of littering but these enviro-crimes are an eyesore on our County Borough and we must do all we can to eradicate them.
“This is part of our commitment to making Rhondda Cynon Taf a cleaner and healthier place to live. This is something we take extremely seriously and remain vigilant in our efforts to remove such blights on our communities.
