THE volume of waste that has been littered and fly-tipped in Copeland has decreased significantly in the last two years, new figures show.
Copeland Council received 301 reports of fly-tipping in 2018/19, a reduction from the 434 reports in 2016/17.
In line with the drop in the number of reports, the volume of fly-tipped waste the council collected is on the decrease, with 23 tonnes collected this year; a reduction from the 47 tonnes in 2016/17.
The reduction in Copeland is in contrast with the countywide average, where reports of fly-tipping increased from 572 in 2016/17 to 784 this year.
The tonnage collected by Copeland Council’s street-cleaning team has also reduced significantly, from 1,039 in 2016/17 to 770 this year.
The reduction coincides with Copeland Council’s Pride of Place campaign, in which it has invested resources in tackling the issue and worked with schools, businesses and town/parish councils to encourage more responsible behavior.
Mike Starkie, Mayor of Copeland, said: “These figures show a significant drop in the volume of waste we’ve had to collect from the borough’s streets, verges and beaches.
“I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to our staff and our community for playing their part in this reduction; it’s important that everyone takes ownership of – and takes pride in – their borough.
“The figures also show that, comparatively speaking, Copeland does not have a significant fly-tipping and littering problem. We compare very favourably against the county average for episodes of fly-tipping, and ours is on the decrease whereas the county average is increasing.
“However, one episode of fly-tipping and one dropped cigarette or takeaway wrapper is one too many. So we will not be complacent and we will do everything we can to ensure this decrease continues.”
