Owners of supermarkets and other businesses could be fined for litter found in or around their premises, including supermarket trolleys left in the road, under new powers given to local authorities.
In addition to increased fines, conviction on indictment is being introduced for littering offences to provide a greater deterrent, particularly for companies or organisations that persistently flout the litter laws.
Fly-posting and the placing of advertising leaflets on vehicles, for example, on the windscreen, will also be restricted by the new anti-litter legislation which will come into effect on October 1st.
Under the Protection of the Environment Act, 2003, the litter laws announced by the Minister of State for the Environment, Mr Pat "the Cope" Gallagher, will widen local authority powers to make local bylaws, imposing greater restrictions on advertising materials in public places.
Until now local authorities only had the power to pass bylaws to prohibit or regulate the distribution of advertising material to the public. Now they can make bylaws to regulate the provision and use of supermarket trolleys, place obligations on owners or managers of businesses in relation to washing the public area outside their premises and require occupiers of premises to take measures to limit the creation of litter and provide for its removal.
Local authorities will also be able to pass bylaws regulating the movement, location, use and operation of mobile outlets and require the promoters of events attended by large numbers to take measures to limit litter and provide for its removal.
The fine for summary conviction for litter offences will be increased from 1,904 to 3,000, the upper limit of fine for offences heard in the District Court. The maximum daily fine for continuing offences will increase to 600, more than four times the previous fine.