Littering

Littering What is litter?

Litter is small pieces of rubbish, and consists most commonly of cigarette butts, food wrappers or containers, drink containers and takeaway food packaging.
Littering occurs when rubbish is placed on the ground or is allowed to be blown or washed into a public place. Therefore, allowing waste to be blown from a trailer or truck is treated the same as someone placing it on the ground deliberately.
Litter negatively affects our towns, rivers, parks, and reserves. Plastic litter can take many years to break down and is damaging to the environment.
The chemicals in cigarette butts can kill many insects and small animals that live in our rivers – animals that feed fish and local platypus. Glass bottles can be dangerous and even start fires during hot sunny weather.

Download the Littering fact sheet: Littering(PDF, 3MB)

How can you help?

It’s easy to prevent litter every day:

  • Put your rubbish in a bin
  • Take your rubbish with you if there is not a bin available
  • Keep a container in the car to collect rubbish
  • Put your cigarette butt in a butt bin, or ordinary litter bin when extinguished
  • Keep materials secured so they do not blow or fall from your car, truck or ute.

Click here for further information: Litter and Illegal Dumping

 

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