A YouGov survey commissioned by FCC Environment has found that more than two thirds (68%) of people think litter is the responsibility of the individual consumer, rather than the producer.
The survey, which took place this month and quizzed more than 2,000 adults, coincides with government plans to include litter as part of its extended producer responsibility (EPR) proposals.
The FCC study of over 2,000 people showed that the majority thought litter was the responsibility of consumers
While the full findings will be released at 10:00 today (22 May) at Letsrecycle Live in the ‘Local Authority Conference Theatre’, the provisional results have revealed that just 9% think it is the responsibility of the retailer, while 5% think it should fall on the local council.
The survey was carried out online, and figures have been weighted and are “representative of all GB adults”.
Other findings also noted that almost a third of people (32%) would not be willing to pay anything extra on top of the original cost of a takeaway item for 100% recyclable or environmentally friendly packaging, but over a quarter (28%) would be willing to pay 5% extra.
Commenting on the initial findings, FCC regional director Steve Longdon said: “With its Resources and Waste Strategy, government is pushing us towards a DRS system for consumers’ ‘on the go’ lifestyles while holding producers accountable for packaging [so as to reduce littering and drive up recycling].”
Mr Longdon added: “At the same time, its Litter Strategy is driving forward measures to curb littering behaviour. Our research makes it clear that the public recognize their responsibility for littering. It shows we all need to play our part in cleaning up our streets and countryside.”
East Northamptonshire
When it comes to keeping streets clean, FCC pointed to one local authority which “is taking decisive action to tackle takeaway litter”.
Drive through users who litter were targeted as part of a council campaign FCC referenced
East Northamptonshire council’s waste services manager Charlotte Tompkins said as part of the release: “We introduced a zero-tolerance policy to litter several years ago, investigating and taking appropriate legal action including cautions, fixed penalty fines, and prosecution to deter culprits and encourage responsible waste management. Where we find takeaway litter, we have been working collaboratively with the retailer to trace back the individual who purchased it.”
Ms Tompkins added that the council has been working with KFC and McDonald’s to trace ‘drive through’ users who have gone on to litter their fast food packaging. While also working with other names such as Coca-Cola to identify people behind packaging that has come to be fly-tipped in the counci’s area.
She added: “As an enforcing authority, we would like to see fast food packaging have some identifying label added to the boxes. While it is acceptable to put the responsibility onto the producers, it is also important for individuals to consider their personal duty to manage their own waste responsibly.”
The ‘why cleaning our streets matters’ conference will be the first conference of the 2019 Letsrecycle Live event. This will see Steve Longdon, regional director of FCC Environment, present the research and also hear in more detail about how local authorities are dealing with the issue.
The post Producers ‘not responsible for litter’, finds FCC survey appeared first on letsrecycle.com.
Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
