Cigarette and chewing gum companies urged to help with spring clean

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/poli...ing-clean.html

Cigarette and chewing gum companies urged to help with national spring clean

Ministers have written to the Chancellor George Osborne to urge him to force tobacco companies to pay for cleaning up cigarette butts and packets

Chewing gum companies and fast food outlets should help clean the country’s streets as part of a first ever “national spring clean” to rid areas of litter, ministers have said.

Kris Hopkins, a minister at the Department for Communities and Local Government, said the companies could help the Government on the first ever community clear up day in seven weeks’ time.

It also emerged that Mr Hopkins and his ministerial colleague Dan Rogerson have written to the Chancellor George Osborne to urge him to force tobacco companies to pay for cleaning up cigarette butts and packets, which account for nearly a third of street litter.

Research by Keep Britain Tidy suggests that more than half the population drop litter and the Government is keen to effect "widespread behaviour change" by making dropping litter as unacceptable as drink driving.

The ‘community clear up day’ is being held on Saturday 21 March 2015 – the first day of spring will aim to spruce up the country’s city centres, high streets, villages and parks.

Chewing gum and snack manufacturers and fast food takeways are being urged to take part.

Mr Hopkins said: “This is a call to arms for communities great and small to help us end this litter scourge by taking greater pride in our neighbourhoods.

“It is time to roll up our sleeves and bring the broom back out of the cupboard because by looking after our local areas we can help make them better places to work and live.

“I also urge the manufacturers of items commonly associated with littering – such as soft drinks, chewing gum, crisps, confectionery and fast food – to join us in this day and contribute to the clear up of our streets and public places.

Councils in England spend more than £800 million every year on street cleansing. Mr Hopkins said that people had to recognise that dropping litter and forcing councils to clear up the mess meant that councils had to divert cash from key areas like elderly care.

He said: “Those irresponsible individuals who are dropping litter are meaning that resources which are very limited at this time are taken away from elderly people or books in libraries or a whole range of services.”

The Government estimates that 30 per cent of all street litter is cigarette butts, cigarette packets or matches.

Mr Hopkins said he wanted tobacco companies to “make a contribution to put right the wrongs as a consequence of their product” and written to the Treasury to call for a litter tax on cigarette firms.

The Treasury is midway through a consultation on a levy on tobacco products which was began without fanfare shortly after the Autumn statement last month.

He said: “One of the burdens associated with this habit is actually picking up and cleansing.

“The Treasury may want to consider how they may want to place a levy on the tobacco companies to actually compensate for that. We have written and we are waiting for Treasury’s response.”

Retailers should follow the example of McDonald’s, the fast food chain, which takes responsibility for cleaning up a 100metre radius around its restaurants, he said.

“From a reputational point of view, it is a powerful message for us to say 'if you are a responsible retailer and people know that you are out there with a brush, people notice that'.”

Mr Hopkins said he wanted local council leaders to “challenge individuals who have thrown a can on the floor”, adding: "There is a public shame associated with that behaviour.”

A Communities and Local Government department spokesman said: “We have brought the specific issue of smoking-related littering to Treasury Ministers’ attention and would like to understand how, if this levy is introduced, the tobacco industry could contribute to the cost for local government of dealing with smokers’ litter.

“It seems sensible to us that, given how much smoking-related litter councils have to clear up, the tobacco companies contribute to their efforts.”

Littering is a pet hate of mine and sure gets my blood pressure through the roof so here's a rant.

I'm all for companies helping with efforts where they are located/sponsoring campaigns like this but forcing them via the law? How is it the fault of Spearmint or Lambert and Butler if I buy a pack of ciggies or chewing gum and then throw it on the floor like a filthy pig? You could extend the same argument to McDonalds, KFC - anything really. It's dangerous in law when you start messing up personal responsibility with collective or corporate responsibility.

If you want the streets to be cleaner as they used to be, it's a cultural thing rather than hiring more street cleaners. Encourage stable families where manners are taught and parents teach their children right and wrong. Have schools where manners are enforced by a strict code of conduct with punishment and not counselling for the naughty little brats. Live in a society where people aren't afraid to speak out against loutish behaviour for fear of being attacked verbally or otherwise and nobody aiding them. In other words, a return to some decent behaviour and a sense of PRIDE where you live. Do you want to live in a filthy cesspit of an area or a country? Sadly, many nowadays do for the factors I just mentioned aren't taught anymore because they're just not 'progressive' and 'modern' enough.

Thoughts?

[The Don]

Littering is disgusting, I completely agree, but let's not pretend it's a new problem to Britain or one which is associated in any way, shape or form with progressive or modern policies. It's becoming ever-increasingly noticeable that your idea of what Britain was like historically is factually incorrect and nothing more than a nostalgia fuelled, rose-tinted daydream. Bringing back the cane wont stop people from throwing their cigarette butts on the ground, nor does Political Correctness have anything to do with it. Stop lampooning issues together and blaming the left for every little thing wrong with this country. There has always been littering, it's not a new thing.

In regards to the actual proposal I disagree with it. Aren't our taxes meant to go towards street maintenance? Just seems like the governments/councils trying to get more money.

[Chippiewill]

I could certainly see the argument behind cigarettes, there is no other product on the market which is littered as frequently. Frankly it may not be the fault of the cigarette company but it certainly is a highly frequent and natural consequence of their product. If we're placing it down to fault we could always just add more duty to cigarettes for a cleaning fee.

And actually, from what I can tell, that's all that's been asked for as a law. All the other companies were only to be encouraged. Read the ******* article dan.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Littering is disgusting, I completely agree, but let's not pretend it's a new problem to Britain or one which is associated in any way, shape or form with progressive or modern policies. It's becoming ever-increasingly noticeable that your idea of what Britain was like historically is factually incorrect and nothing more than a nostalgia fuelled, rose-tinted daydream. Bringing back the cane wont stop people from throwing their cigarette butts on the ground, nor does Political Correctness have anything to do with it. Stop lampooning issues together and blaming the left for every little thing wrong with this country. There has always been littering, it's not a new thing.

Of course there's always been littering, but there's no doubt that manners have fallen through the floor: from how smart people used to dress to how they allow their neighbourhood to be. Years ago, even the poorest people wore a suit to work and everywhere and even the people with the worst houses all crowded into one still made the effort to clean the step: in the older pictures you never see weeds growing infront of peoples houses in the cracks, you never see an overgrown garden or hedge: anything. Not saying it was all perfect, but those things I mentioned which have been swept away in the name of progress.

No doubt schools are getting worse, manners are getting worse and there's less shame about. No doubt at all.

In regards to the actual proposal I disagree with it. Aren't our taxes meant to go towards street maintenance? Just seems like the governments/councils trying to get more money.

The councils can't afford street cleaners now they've got to be forward thinking and progressive with diversity co-ordinators, an army of social workers and global warming advisors on the payroll.

I could certainly see the argument behind cigarettes, there is no other product on the market which is littered as frequently. Frankly it may not be the fault of the cigarette company but it certainly is a highly frequent and natural consequence of their product. If we're placing it down to fault we could always just add more duty to cigarettes for a cleaning fee.

And actually, from what I can tell, that's all that's been asked for as a law. All the other companies were only to be encouraged. Read the ******* article dan.

Ermm well actually I was talking about this suggestion..

It also emerged that Mr Hopkins and his ministerial colleague Dan Rogerson have written to the Chancellor George Osborne to urge him to force tobacco companies to pay for cleaning up cigarette butts and packets, which account for nearly a third of street litter.

Now what was that about reading the article?

[Chippiewill]

Now what was that about reading the article?

You were falsely implying that companies other than tobacco companies were being forced by law.

[-:Undertaker:-]

You were falsely implying that companies other than tobacco companies were being forced by law.

No, I said as a warning of the logic being used here...

You could extend the same argument to McDonalds, KFC - anything really.

[Chippiewill]

No, I said as a warning of the logic being used here...

or chewing gum

....

[-:Undertaker:-]

....

Well here's my full quote. The article mentions chewing gum and cigarettes.

How is it the fault of Spearmint or Lambert and Butler if I buy a pack of ciggies or chewing gum and then throw it on the floor like a filthy pig?

Whichever companies/products are being picked doesn't matter anyway, as i'd be arguing against collective guilt whether it was ciggies, chewies or food.

[peteyt]

I could certainly see the argument behind cigarettes, there is no other product on the market which is littered as frequently. Frankly it may not be the fault of the cigarette company but it certainly is a highly frequent and natural consequence of their product. If we're placing it down to fault we could always just add more duty to cigarettes for a cleaning fee.

And actually, from what I can tell, that's all that's been asked for as a law. All the other companies were only to be encouraged. Read the ******* article dan.

At the end of the day once someone buys something it's then the responsibility of the person who bought that item. Telling the tobacco industry they have to clean the mess made by people buying their products won't solve anything, if anything I believe it would make people even more lazy - if they know someone is going to clean their mess up people will probably make even more mess. It's like taking a knife from your kitchen and using it as a weapon then the victim going after the knifes manufacturer and it doesn't make sense.

However punishment like the cane in schools will never return. Parents can hardly hit their own children lightly as punishment these days without risking possible consequences so if a parent isn't able to I doubt a school will be able to either. We do need to educate people better though to prevent this. There are fines for littering at the moment but are these enforced properly? maybe make people who litter have to do community service cleaning streets as well as a fine to hopefully deter them from doing it again.

But as stated it's a problem that's existed for years, it's nothing new. Some places also do suffer from a lack of public bins which doesn't help the matter. Interestingly there's a field next to my house so lots of people walk their dogs on their and I see a lot of people pick up the dogs business, tie it up and then leave it on the grass. If they're going to actually pick it up you'd think they'd put it in a bin.