Environment Minister Edwin Poots has thrown his support behind the Belfast Telegraph’s war on litter.

So enthusiastic was the minister about our Big Clean-Up message that he wielded his brush and shovel on the steps of Stormont to show he meant business.

Backing our campaign, the minister said that he wanted to send out the message that there are better things for councils to spend £30m on than sweeping Northern Ireland’s streets.

Mr Poots also urged people to comment on his forthcoming Clean Neighbourhoods Bill which will be going out for consultation at the start of next year.

“We want to work closely with everybody who wants to make Northern Ireland a better environment and we would warmly welcome the campaign,” he said.

“We would want to work with significant news outlets to better educate the public on the damage done to the environment by dumping litter.

“I think the campaign is timely and I would want people to respond to the public consultation on the Clean Neighbourhoods Bill — whether it goes far enough or whether you think it goes too far.”

The Belfast Telegraph has teamed up with Tidy Northern Ireland to highlight places which have been transformed into eyesores by people dumping litter.

We want to get these ‘grot spots’ cleaned up and we’re also keen to show volunteers who clean up their areas that they aren’t alone.

The minister revealed that one of his first jobs was cleaning up litter and lifting bins for the council at Purdysburn.

“It’s a bit soul-destroying clearing up rubbish and coming back after two or three days and there was more there.

“What is the point in ratepayers paying people to sweep the streets when all you have to do is put it in |the bin?”

Mr Poots said that what he really couldn’t understand was the phenomenon of fly-tipping where people dump settees and washing machines along the roadside.

“Even 25 years ago, they sent up a lorry to lift these things out of people’s gardens free of charge. But people are giving themselves more work by doing what they are doing when the council is offering a quality service for free.”

He added: “There needs to be an attitudinal change. Last year 3,000 people were fined for dropping litter — people think there is nothing done about it. But it’s not an effective use of council staff’s time.

“We need to get the message out that there are better ways of spending £30m than on sweeping the streets.

“The general public themselves are wasting their own money.

“If you were in someone’s house would you throw rubbish down and then pay for someone to come and clean it up?

“Can people not transfer that concept from their own houses to the wider environment in Northern Ireland?

“In parts of northern Europe the streets are very clean, not because of cleaning but because people don’t litter in the first place.

“Sometimes it’s not a wee lad in a hoodie. You see very well-dressed individuals driving up the road in a fairly modern car, the window opens and the litter comes out.

“They don’t want the car to be dirty but they don’t mind the environment being dirty,” the minister added.

The Clean Neighbourhoods Bill proposals

Environment Minister Edwin Poots introduced The Clean Neighbourhoods Bill in September as part of an effort to give district councils powers to deal more effectively with a wide range of local environmental problems. It will go to public consultation next year. He described to the Belfast Telegraph how the bill could help clean up our province.

The rubbish-filled gardens

“The council would be in a position to clean that up and bill the individuals. At the moment they don’t have any particular powers unless there are vermin and then it’s a environmental health issue.”

The fly posters

“We’re looking at how we restrict the fly posting that takes place. If someone has fly-posted to advertise their venue and there is a cost associated, that should be taken back to the advertising agent.”

The chewing gum:

“It’s a nuisance and it costs more to clean up than it does to buy. It costs 10p to clean it up and 3p to buy a stick of chewing gum. We’re thinking of increasing the fixed penalty notice to £75.”

The fast food wrappers

“Fast food outlets or outlets that tend to generate a lot of rubbish will have to take more responsibility for cleaning up their area.”

The leaflets

“People who hand out free literature in the streets may have to seek consent prior to distribution. Very often it’s dropped around the vicinity of where they are handing it out — it could be part of the arrangement that they have responsibility for picking those up.”

The shopping trolleys

“We are looking at going back to whoever provided them in the first place and charging for them to be recovered. Councils are responsible for removing them when they have been dumped but they are not able to recover their costs.”