Islington council is on the lookout for litterlouts. Those pesky people who drop gum, cigarette butts, or wrappers on our streets should be aware that their actions could see them slapped with a £50 fine for the offence. During the weeks leading up to Christmas Islington’s waste enforcement and monitoring officers worked with Police Community Support Officers on the streets around the Nags Head, particularly the Holloway and Seven Sisters Roads, reminding people of the penalties for dropping litter. Nearly 400 people were given a “littering yellow card” for being careless with their waste. Officers also handed out stubbies,’ to smokers. Stubbies are pouches designed to store cigarette butts. The pouches enable smokers to retain their used cigarettes until they pass a suitable place to dispose them. These were well received by residents, including Ben Sparks, who was working on the flower stall on the Holloway Road. He gladly accepted a stubbie. He said, " I didn't know it was against the law to throw a cigarette on the floor. If it keeps the streets clean it can only be for the best. I do smoke myself and I've got a stubbie now and I've already used it." Each year it is estimated that 2,700 tonnes of smoking related litter is dropped on London’s streets – this is equivalent to the contents of 820,000 ashtrays being emptied onto London’s streets each day. Local resident, Ann Bacon also commended the littering enforcement She said, " I think it's an excellent idea - keeps the streets clean and tidy, especially chewing gum. People stand on it and it sticks everywhere and it's hard to get off the carpet. It would be nice to see the streets clear of cigarette butts and chewing gum in the borough. People should take responsibility for their own actions." Councillor Bridget Fox, executive member for sustainability commented “Seeing cigarette butts lying around or stepping on discarded gum isn’t pleasant for anyone and I’m pleased that local people are keen to help the council keep our streets clean. People are surprised when they get a fine for dropping litter but the fines are an effective deterrent. Our message is think before you drop!” Notes 15,000 ‘Stubbies' are being distributed to capital standard boroughs as part of the Mayor of London’s anti smoking-related litter campaign. ‘Stubbies’ are airtight, flame and heat resistant pouches designed so that a smoker can put in their lighted cigarettes and extinguish with a gentle squeeze. Holding up to 5 cigarette ends they can then be emptied into a bin when convenient to discourage cigarette butts being dropped in the street and outside commercial buildings, which leads to large quantities of unsightly litter concentrated around the areas where smokers gather.
Page Last Updated: 29 July 2008