Residents urged to sign the Tidy Pledge to keep the East Riding clean

Residents are being asked to sign a pledge to Keep the East Riding Tidy as part of a campaign to reduce litter and fly-tipping.

The Tidy Pledge campaign has been launched by East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s streetscene services in an effort to encourage residents to take more responsibility for their rubbish.

Last year it cost the council £3.1million to clean up litter and waste in the East Riding.

And it dealt with more than 2,900 reports of fly-tipping, costing around £350,000 to clear up.

So the council is encouraging residents to follow a few simple steps to help keep their communities clean.

These include:

Promising never to drop litter ... and always put it in the bin
Taking litter home if there isn’t a bin nearby
Taking bulky waste to household waste recycling sites
When hiring someone to take away rubbish, follow the council’s SCRAP Code and always check they have a waste carrier’s licence to prevent the waste being fly-tipped.

The Tidy Pledge was launched at Driffield Show in July, where more than 200 people signed up.

Councillor Symon Fraser, the council’s portfolio holder for strategic asset management, housing and environment, said: “Litter and fly-tipping is an increasing problem in our area so we are really encouraging residents to only use licensed waste carriers to handle their waste.

 “We all want to make the East Riding a cleaner place and stamping out fly-tipping is vital to this aim.”

Everyone who signs the pledge will have a chance of winning one of three £25 Love2shop gift vouchers – which can be used in many major high street shops.

The three shopping vouchers the council is giving away as part of the campaign add up to £75 ... which is the same price as a fixed penalty notice the council can issue to people who drop litter.

How to sign the Tidy Pledge:

Residents can sign the Tidy Pledge two ways:

Email your name, address and telephone number to streetscene.enforcement@eastriding.gov.uk Write ‘I sign the Tidy Pledge’ in the subject box.
Fill in the coupon printed in the council’s September edition of Your East Riding magazine, which is delivered to all homes in the East Riding.

The deadline for signing the Tidy Pledge is Saturday 30 September. Winners of the prize draw will be chosen at random and notified soon after.

For more information on the Tidy Pledge, and to find out more about the council’s SCRAP Code, visit www.east-riding.gov.uk and search for ‘fly-tipping’.

From there people can download a Duty of Care leaflet to get advice on hiring waste carriers legally.