Litter pickers in Peterborough agree that more needs to be done to prevent littering across the country
Campaigners from Keep Britain Tidy are calling for a national litter strategy
We are being told that littering is becoming a huge issue in Peterborough.
The green group, Keep Britain Tidy, are calling for a national litter strategy.
Teams from Keep Britain Tidy walked a total of 1,140 miles across England between 2013 and 2024, identifying litter in a representative sample of urban and rural sites.
The charity said more than 90% of these areas contained litter.
During the latest 2023-2024 survey, teams found that just nine in every 100 locations in England were litter-free.
I think it's probably getting worse
Harry Machin, who started the Peterborough Litter Wombles Association, said:
"I think it's probably getting worse, but where we have litter picked, it's getting better."
"On some pathways where there are no bins, we put up bags on the lamp posts, and they get really well used. Wherever we put those up, there's less litter."
"There are certain areas we won't do because if we pick it, the litter just comes back."
"We always take the view that we will do anything that might lead to positive action."
"But if there are no new cameras going up or bins being put in places, then there's no point."
"There are whole neighbourhoods in Peterborough where residents are routinely throwing their litter into the undergrowth."
Residents are routinely throwing their litter into the undergrowth
The research also uncovered a disparity between the richest and poorest areas in England.
Surveyors found just 2% of sites classed as most deprived were litter-free, compared with 14% in the least deprived areas, meaning they were also seven times less likely to find a litter-free space in poorer areas.
In terms of the type of litter discovered, the campaigners said discarded packaging from drinks, snacks and fast food was second only to smoking-related litter in prevalence.
Sweets and chocolate wrappers were found in more than half (52%) of surveyed sites, followed by drink bottles and cans, which were present in almost a third of all locations (31%).
The charity also published its findings on public attitudes towards litter, with a poll suggesting that two-thirds of people would not feel safe walking down a pictured street that was heavily littered, or that living in such an area would negatively affect their mental health.
Elsewhere, 87% of respondents said they would be discouraged from buying or renting in such a littered area and 78% believed the high levels of litter would deter business investment.
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