Street litter bins

We are responsible for the provision and maintenance of litter bins within Erewash. We provide a wide range of litter bins to suit the needs of each area.

Litter bins are usually placed in areas of high pedestrian traffic and where a litter problem has been identified, particularly in the town centres, outside local shops and other high litter areas.

Maintenance

We have dedicated crews who empty over 750 bins on regular schedules devised to ensure that no bin overflows.

If you wish to report a bin that is overflowing please contact us.

All of our litter bins are inspected regularly. If you notice that a litter bin has been moved or is damaged please contact us, we will endeavour to repair or replace the bin as quickly as possible.

Is it a crime to drop litter?

Yes, if it happens in a public place. The average fine is around £95 although a court does have the power to fine someone up to £2,500 (a Level 4 offence on the Standard Scale). Alternatively, in some areas you could get a £50 fixed penalty fine for littering from our Neighbourhood Wardens.

What is litter?

Legally speaking, the word litter is given a wide interpretation. Litter can be as small as a sweet wrapper, large as a bag of rubbish or it can mean lots of items scattered about. ENCAMS describes litter as "Waste in the wrong place caused by human agency."

In other words, people make litter. The Offence of Leaving Litter (section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990) says that if a person drops, throws, deposits or leaves anything so as to cause defacement in a public place, they could be committing a littering offence. So always put rubbish in a bin, or take it home.

Litter doesn't just disappear! If litter is not picked up, items will take many years to decompose.

Banana skins/fruit peelings - two years
Cigarette ends - two years
Drinks cans - 80 to 100 years
Plastic carrier bags - 100+ years
Plastic bottles - 100+ years

What can I do if I see someone drop litter?

If you are with someone you know and they drop litter you may feel safe telling them that they shouldn't.

However, even though it is infuriating to see someone littering, ENCAMS does not want you to put your personal safety at risk.

The same applies if you see litter thrown from cars. Police officers or litter wardens are empowered and trained to deal with offenders.

If you have information about a littering incident you could report it to the police, the local authority or a litter warden, but it is up to them to decide whether they wish to proceed any further. Whilst it is possible to take a private prosecution, it would be at a person’s own expense and you will need strong evidence to prove your case in court.

Who should clear away litter?

Your local authority has a legal duty (so far as practicable) to clear litter and refuse from public places for which is it responsible such as streets, parks, playgrounds, tourist beaches and pedestrianised areas.

If a piece of private land is littered and is affecting the local environmental quality we will look to take enforcement actions through a litter clearing notice to ensure the land is cleared to satisfactory standard. But we should all help by not dropping litter in the first place.

You can contact the Neighbourhood Services team by:

Tel: 0845 907 2244
email: contactcentre@erewash.gov.uk
Minicom: 0115 931 6056 (for hearing and impaired people – available during normal opening hours)

Pride-line (opens in a new window) : 0115 850 8383 (24 hours confidential hotline).
Our PRIDE in Erewash Campaign has been boosted by the launch of a new confidential 24-hour hotline which gives residents the power to tackle environmental crime in their local area.

For out of hours emergencies please call 0845 907 2244.

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