£300,000 of Litter Innovation Fund freed up

Over £300,000 is now available for community projects that get tough on litter.

The Litter Innovation Fund was set up as part of the Government’s Litter Strategy for England which was launched in April 2017 and is administered by the sustainability not-for-profit WRAP.

The first round saw a number of councils, charities, businesses, and public projects awarded almost £125,000 to take innovative steps to tackle littering in their communities.

The successful projects included measures to tackle littering by football fans, and working with hauliers and business owners to reduce roadside litter.

The Government says they spent almost £700m last year on street cleaning. Despite this, 1 in 5 people admit to dropping litter, with a recent study showing 1 in 4 people admit to ‘careful littering’ such as leaving drinks cans or coffee cups on window ledges.

Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey said: ‘This Government is tough on tackling litter which if left unchecked makes our towns and cities less pleasant places, poisons our wildlife, and blights our countryside.

‘That is why we are providing grants of up to £10,000 for communities to come up with creative solutions to tackle litter in their local area and I encourage local groups to apply.

‘It is only through government and communities working together that we will affect the long-term behavioural change that is needed to tackle this scourge, and leave the environment in a better state than we inherited it.’

As part of the Fund, Defra is also preparing to launch a ‘digital innovation challenge’ to help find innovative digital and technological solutions to local litter challenges. They highlight apps like LoveCleanStreets, Littergram and Find it Fix It Love It as good examples of using digital solutions to help people report litter problems.

Keep Britain Tidy chief executive Allison Ogden-Newton added: ‘Innovation is a vital part of turning the tide on litter. We need to find new ways to change the behaviour of those who think it is OK to drop their rubbish on the ground and new solutions that make it easier for people to do the right thing.

‘It is fantastic to see the Government supporting innovation through this scheme, which is helping organisations and communities develop exciting new ideas and approaches, and at Keep Britain Tidy we are delighted to be receiving funds to enable us to test new behavioural interventions through our award-winning Centre for Social Innovation.’

Funding is limited to a maximum of £10,000 per project.