Over the bank holiday weekend, visitors to Brighton & Hove’s beaches came across some unusual reminders to use a bin or take their rubbish home, rather than litter the beaches. These included a giant fish made from litter, litter rescue lifeguards and a trash converter where people can trade their trash for treats.
The installations are part of the #StreetsAhead campaign launched by Brighton & Hove City Council’s refuse and recycling arm CityClean, in partnership with environmental charity Hubbub. The campaign hopes to capture the public’s imagination and encourage responsible disposal of litter.
The campaign is being funded by fines paid by those who litter. According to the council, the enforcement of penalties is proving popular with residents, with 88% of those surveyed saying there should be stricter fines for those who litter.
The #StreetsAhead campaign is calling on Brighton & Hove residents and visitors alike to help stem the flow of litter onto the beach and into the sea. It advises people to do the following:
· Use the bin, not the pebbles, not the gutter, not the pavement
· If you see some litter and you’re near a bin – pick it up
· If the bin is full, find another one or take your litter home
Councillor Gill Mitchell of Brighton & Hove City Council said: “Brighton & Hove’s residents are rightly proud of the vibrant city we live in and we’re launching the #StreetsAhead campaign to make sure our streets and beaches are also something to be proud of. We’re starting with tackling beach litter as it’s such a focal point of the city. Tourism brings £845million to Brighton & Hove’s economy each year and 82% of tourists visit for the beach. Later in the year we’ll be running more activity around other parts of the city.”
Richard Bradley, Assistant Director, City Environment Services said: “We clean a shocking amount of litter from Brighton & Hove’s beaches – up to five van loads every day. People leave behind all kinds of rubbish, from drinks cans and bottles to unfinished fish and chips in polystyrene containers. As well as being an unsightly blight on our beaches, we can be sure that more rubbish blows into the sea before we can get to it, posing a hazard to marine life.”
Rebecca Dove, Managing Director of Hubbub said: “The amount of litter entering the sea is massive, and increasing. 35% of fish off the coast of Britain have plastic in their gut and 80% of ocean plastic comes from land-based sources. Litter in the sea takes centuries to break down and is harmful to birds, fish and other species. Brighton has a fantastic opportunity to lead the solution to tackle the issue of litter entering the sea along Britain’s coastline which is contributing to a pressing global issue.”
More details of planned activities and opportunities to get involved in the #StreetsAhead campaign can be found at https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk or by following @RecyclingRefuse on Twitter
