Offence On the Spot In Court

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3 What is Litter? Litter is the most visible sign of environmental pollution. It is anything that is deposited where it is not meant to be. Litter is unsightly and dangerous. Moreover, small, carelessly discarded litter can cause injury to people, through cuts and needle stick injuries. It is also a threat to wildlife which can be poisoned, choked or strangled. It encourages pest animals such as rats, mice and seagulls as well as the spread of pathogens. Litter is cigarette butts and drink bottles. It is an apple core carelessly thrown out of the car window, a load that hasn t been secured properly on the back of a trailer, and the grass clippings that you sweep into the gutter. This booklet is designed to help you understand the impact of litter on your environment, and explains how you can reduce litter in your local community, as well as who to turn to for help. Stormwater Litter on the Beach The stormwater system is designed to take rainwater from our guttering and streets into the closest waterway. Litter that is carelessly dropped on our streets is often washed into the stormwater system and ends up on our beaches and in our rivers. When you wash paintbrushes in the gutter, or pour oil or pesticides into the gutter, it flows directly into our stormwater system, and into our waterways, polluting them, and putting people and animals at risk. If you see this or any other form of environmental pollution, contact EPA s Pollution Watch Line. Litter and the Law Under Victoria s Litter Act 1987, littering is illegal. The Act authorises EPA, local government, police and other public officials to take action against offenders. These agencies generally issue on the spot fines, although the matter may end up in court. These include: Offence On the Spot In Court Placing advertising material on vehicles $100 $500 Having an unsecured load $100 $500 Depositing burning litter $100 $2000 Depositing household or business rubbish in a litter bin $100 $2000 General littering on or into land or water $100 $2000 Depositing small item of litter $20 $2000 Throwing litter from vehicles $100 $4000 Aggravated littering $4000 1

4 Litter Thrown From Cars You can report someone throwing litter from a car to EPA. Take note of the vehicle registration, make and model of the vehicle, time and place that the offence was committed, and a description of the type of litter that was deposited. When you contact the Litter Report Line, a report form will be sent to you to fill out. It is also possible to download the report form from EPA s website, or you can request that a copy be sent to you by using the Contact Us option on the website. EPA will issue the offender with a fine according to the type of offence committed. Alternatively, you are able to report littering from cars to your local council, by providing them with the same details. Litter in the Local Community Litter makes your local area ugly and lowers property values. Your local council By-Laws officer is able to help you with local issues such as overflowing bins in streets and schools, and rubbish that has been dumped in your local area. Schools are able to purchase an education kit focusing on litter from The Gould League. You are also able to report rubbish from building sites to your local council. If you are concerned about litter in shopping centres, you should contact Centre Management at the shopping centre, who will be able to assist you. Litter Left From Recycling and Rubbish Collections The practice of kerbside collections can result in rubbish accidentally being dropped in the street. If this is the case, collect what has been dropped to prevent it entering the stormwater system. If there is a large amount dropped, or it occurs regularly, contact your local council. Sometimes recycling collections will leave behind items that are not included in the recycling program. If this is the case, contact your local council for advice on what is included in your collection. For advice on disposal of items other than those included in kerbside collection, contact EcoRecycle Victoria or the EPA Information Centre. Litter From Landfills If you are experiencing a problem with litter coming from a local landfill operation or waste transfer station, you can report it to EPA s Pollution Watch Line. Junk Mail Advertising material must be distributed according to the law. At home, all mail deliveries should be left either under the door, or in a proper receptacle such as a letterbox. If this is a problem in your area, contact EPA. It is illegal to place advertising material on car windscreens. You can report this to EPA. 2

5 If your letterbox has a No advertising material label, junk mail may not be placed in it. If you are having trouble with this or any other forms of junk mail, you can contact the Distributions Standards Board. Syringes Syringes are potentially dangerous, and should always be disposed of in an approved sharps container. If you find a discarded syringe on public land, contact your local council, who will organise its collection. Your local council will also be able to provide advice on removing syringes on private land. If you want to act yourself, contact the Department of Human Services for further information. Public Transport You can report litter on railway lines to the operator of that line (eg Hillside Trains or Bayside Trains), who will be able to organise for the rubbish to be collected. Roadside Litter Roadside litter can be a significant problem. You can contact VicRoads regarding litter that is present on the sides of major roads or the local council for other roads. The Adopt a Highway program involves community groups cleaning up land bordering roads in their local area. Contact VicRoads for details. How Can You Help? We are all responsible, and we must work together to reduce Victoria s litter. Garden Waste Don t sweep grass clippings and garden waste into gutters. When it rains, all of that garden waste is washed down into the stormwater system, and can end up in Victoria s waterways. It can also block stormwater drains, resulting in flooding during periods of heavy rain. You can use a compost bin or worm farm that will provide you with rich organic material that will improve your garden soil much more cheaply than commercial preparations. Another use for leaves and lawn clippings is as mulch, which will greatly reduce your garden s water requirement, and save you money. The added advantage of using mulch on your garden is that it helps to prevent weed growth. There are a number of sources of information on composting and mulch. Contact EcoRecycle Victoria, CERES, your local water board, or your local garden centre for details. If you are unable to utilise your garden waste, check whether your council has a green waste collection. Another important point to remember is that your hose should not replace your broom. Do not hose down concrete paths and driveways rather than sweeping. It may seem a lot easier, but the dirt and debris end up in the stormwater system, polluting our waterways. The broom and a little effort will also save you money by cutting your water bill. 3

6 Household Chemicals Never pour chemicals into the gutter. EcoRecycle Victoria runs Free Household Chemical Collection days throughout Victoria, which will accept most common household wastes including oil, pesticides and batteries. Contact EcoRecycle Victoria or your local council or watch your local press for details. Washing Cars To prevent soapy water, mud, oil and grease from being washed into our stormwater drains, don t let the run off enter the gutter when washing your car. If washing your car on your lawn or nature strip, avoid strong detergents as these can damage the grass. Most commercial carwashes use recycled water, and so are worth a try. Dog Poo Take a plastic bag, or other suitable container, to collect those little messages your dog leaves behind when you go for a walk. Just leaving them there is unpleasant for those who come after you. Many local councils have local laws in place to combat this unpleasant problem on their streets and in their parks. Some provide plastic bags and special bins in their parks. Shopping Bags Plastic contributes significantly to Victoria s litter stream. Plastic shopping bags look like jellyfish in the water, and are often mistaken for food by marine creatures. Although plastic shopping bags cannot be recycled via domestic recycling collections, they can be reused. Often, large supermarkets have collection points for bags in their stores, and the plastic from these is recycled by the supermarket. Cigarette Butts The change in workplace practices with regard to smoking has had an unexpected effect on the environment. Cigarette butts are the most littered item, and it is not uncommon to see huge numbers of butts outside office buildings and at public transport stops. Many local councils have installed special bins for butts around local communities and at public transport stops. Contact the building manager about installing and emptying these bins outside the building where you work. Community Groups There are many organisations that involve themselves in fighting litter. Keep Australia Beautiful provides information on their local award programs. Clean Up Australia runs community clean-up days and there are many small local groups who adopt areas in their community. Your local council will be able to tell you of groups in your area. If there is no group in your area looking after an area of beauty, or an area that may need some help, speak to your local council about how you can be involved. 4

7 Contacts for Further Information EPA Information Centre HWT 40 City Rd Southbank 3006 (03) Litter Report Line (24 hour, toll free service) Pollution Watch Line or (country callers) EPA Regional Offices Gippsland 7 Church St, Traralgon 3844 (03) North East 24 Ely St, Wangaratta 3677 (03) North West 43 Williamson St, Bendigo 3550 (03) South Metro 45 Princes Hwy, Dandenong 3175 (03) South West State Government Offices Cnr Lt Malop and Fenwick Sts Geelong 3220 (03) CERES (Centre for Education and Research into Environmental Strategies) (03) Clean Up Australia (02) or Department of Human Services (03) Distributions Standards Board (03) EcoRecycle Victoria (03) or The Gould League (03) Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria (03) Melbourne Water (03) Public Transport Corporation (03) or VicRoads (03)

8 State Government of Victoria 6 Publication 692 PRINTED ON 100% RECYCLED PAPER APRIL 2000