Littering is an offence under Section 87(1) Environmental Protection Act 1990 and is committed when any person throws down, drops or otherwise deposits into or from any place to which this section applies, ie public open place. Litter can be defined as anything which leads to the effacement of that place.
Highland Council Environmental Officers can issue a £50 fixed penalty notice for dropping litter, which includes cigarette ends. If litter is not picked up, it can take many years to decompose. Here are some examples of how long common types of litter would take to decompose:
- Banana skins and fruit peelings - 2 years
- Cigarette ends - 2 years
- Drinks cans - 80 - 100 years
- Plastic carrier bags - 10 years
- Glass - 100,000 years
- Plastic bottles - indefinite
We all have a responsibility to prevent littering - there are no excuses.
Incidents of littering should be reported to the Council through one of its many Service Points.