Food businesses urged to ‘❤️ your area’ and join the fight against litter

Food businesses urged to '❤️ your area' and join the fight against litter

Food businesses in South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse are being asked to play a key role in reducing litter by supporting the district councils' '❤️ your area' campaign.

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils are looking to local traders as well as national names to display anti-litter stickers on takeaway food packaging and posters at their premises. By doing so, businesses can help to create cleaner, more welcoming streets for everyone.

The councils' '❤️ your area' initiative aims to tackle the rising issue of litter in public spaces. During the summer banners and posters were displayed in prominent areas to remind people enjoying food and drink outdoors to bin their litter or take it home. With the weather getting colder the councils are now focussing on encouraging takeaways and other food businesses to help spread the message.

The first business to sign up to the campaign is McDonald's whose local franchisee has agreed to add the councils' sticker to packaging handed to their drive-thru customers at Abingdon and Milton Heights and to walk-in customers at Botley and Didcot. A banner has also gone up opposite the front door of the Abingdon premises reminding people leaving the restaurant to bin their litter.

Cllr Mark Coleman, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environmental Services and Waste at Vale of White Horse District Council, added: "Partnering with food businesses allows us to spread the message that everyone has a role in keeping our public areas clean. Together, we can encourage responsible behaviour and reduce the amount of litter left behind, so we'd love as many food businesses as possible to get on board with this campaign."

Cllr Sam James-Lawrie, Cabinet Member for Environment at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: "Food businesses have a huge influence on our public spaces, especially when it comes to tackling litter. By displaying our '❤️ your area' anti-litter messaging on packing and in their premises, they can show their support for the campaign and help to encourage their customers to keep our towns and villages tidy for everyone."

If you run a food business and would like to get involved, please email [email protected]

Photos - left, showing Cllr Sam James-Lawrie at the McDonald's in Didcot with Assistant Manager Leyla Shabani and right, Cllr Mark Coleman at the McDonald's in Abingdon with Shift Manager Anamaria Mudura.

The '❤️ your area' campaign is designed to complement the work of the councils' Environmental Services teams, which focus on both litter reduction and enforcement. By getting involved, food businesses can show they care about their community while helping reduce the environmental impact of litter, particularly plastic waste and food containers.

It is also part of the councils' new Waste Resources and Street Cleansing Strategy which promotes the responsible disposal of litter. Where items do need to be thrown away, the strategy highlights the importance of using one of the councils' comprehensive recycling collection services, before resorting to disposal.

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