Victoria continues best practice approach to deal with littering

The best practice contemporary approach of the Victorian Litter Strategy 2012-14, released yesterday, has been welcomed by the National Packaging Covenant Industry Association (NPCIA).

“Best practice litter management requires the four ‘pillars’ of awareness infrastructure, design and enforcement,” said Stan Moore, CEO of the NPCIA. “The Victorian litter strategy addresses these essential elements and we are looking forward to seeing the positive outcomes for the environment and the community.

“Victoria currently has the lowest levels of litter of any Australian state or territory. We expect this strategy will ensure Victoria remains a leader Australia-wide.”

To kickstart the strategy, the summer campaign “A cleaner Victoria is in your hands” was launched to educate Victorians about the impact of litter on marine environments and how they can help. The campaign encourages the public to report littering activity through an online system. An iPhone app is also available for reporting on the go.

“We applaud the Victorian Government for utilising contemporary approaches and best practice thinking to address this important environmental issue,” said Moore.

Heightened enforcement measures are a key component of the strategy. The Victorian Government is cracking down on litterbugs by significantly increasing fines and prosecutions for littering offences. This follows an increase in litter fines in Western Australia last week.