John Culatto
AUTHORITIES have clamped down on littering and fly tipping in Gibraltar by raising fines to four times their previous amount.
The Department of the Environment rang the changes to cover throwing litter in public places and throwing out of ‘dangerous’ rubbish.
Litter wardens, environmental officers and CCTV will be used to catch offenders leaving rubbish bags beside full bins and not recycling properly.
The Department of the Environment said in a statement it would take a zero tolerance approach to litter from now on.
People who throw, drop or don’t properly get rid of litter will now have to pay £250 for the offence rather than £70.
Fines for throwing dangerous old paint, oil, dog poo or used nappies as well as sharp items, mattresses or furniture went up from £250 to £1000.
The government advised residents to take this waste to either the Eco Park on Devil’s Tower Road or the Civic Amenities Site on Europa Advance Road.
Both sites are open from 8am to 8pm weekdays and 9am-5pm weekends and most public holidays.
“Any rubbish deposited on the floor constitutes an offence – this includes leaving bin bags next to bins or bin stores that are full,” the government statement read.
“If the rubbish does not fit inside the bin then you need to find an alternative location.
Residents are advised not to use general litter bins for household refuse, as there is no refuse collection on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Instead, they should either take out their rubbish on Friday night or keep it at home until Sunday.
On Main Street, rubbish can only be placed outside between 7 and 8 pm, and not on any side streets.
People wishing to get rid of waste outside these hours must use the nearest rubbish bin.
The rules have also been updated to stop mixing household waste or incorrect types of waste in recycling bins.
Offenders who do not respect the efforts of conscientious rubbish separators face a fine of £250.
To make the most of space in the blue bins, cardboard boxes should be flattened before disposal, the government said.
Waste cooking oil can be thrown in orange bins, but it must be put inside a sealed plastic container.
To enforce these measures, authorities have put up CCTV cameras across Gibraltar to catch offenders.
Litter Wardens, Environmental Monitors, Environmental Agency Officers, Environmental Protection and Research Officers, and the police have powers to enforce the new law.
ALSO READ:
- Teenagers collect 80 kilos of rubbish from Gibraltar’s secret beach beside the runway
- Gibraltar and Spain finally reach agreement to move mounds of rubbish to Andalucian landfill
- MONKEY BUSINESS: Police called on three Macaques lobbing rubbish across the street in Gibraltar
