Waste and litter

The Act:

• allows councils to set standard regulations for householders and businesses about rubbish collection, including where to place bins and what to put into different recycling containers. Councils will be able to impose a penalty charge on those who fail to comply (enforcement cannot begin until the level of penalty charges has been agreed, likely to be by June 2008)
  
  
• enables councils to serve a penalty charge notice on a vehicle owner when a littering offence has been committed by somebody inside the vehicle (for example, by throwing rubbish out into the road). Buses, coaches, taxis and private hire vehicles are exempt (enforcement cannot begin until the level of penalty charges has been agreed, likely to be by June 2008)
  
  
• allows councils to require proof that anyone wanting to dump rubbish at a civic amenity site lives in the borough, or an adjoining council area, and to refuse access to anyone from outside the area