We have a duty to keep streets and public places clear of litter.
Let us know about litter on council land or property, streets and public places:
We spend around £1.6m of your money every year on keeping our Borough clean and tidy. Litter bins are placed in public areas and we clean our streets often to avoid a build-up of litter.
We will:
- clean town centres often;
- clean adopted roads every four to six weeks;
- remove rubbish that has built up on council land;
- empty litter bins;
- help with your local clean-ups.
How you can help keep Calderdale clean
- Be tidy with your litter and chewing gum. Use the bins provided.
- If a bin has been moved or removed, do not leave rubbish where it used to be - use the nearest bin.
- If a bin is full, do not place litter on top or around it - use another bin or take your waste home.
- Use the free household waste recycling centres.
- Do not leave your dog's mess for others.
- Do not fly-tip. It is untidy and illegal.
- Do not park where you want us to clean.
- Let us know about any litter hotspots.
- Have waste collection contracts for your business.
- Let us know if a bin is being misused, such as for domestic or commercial waste.
- Report overflowing, damaged or defaced litter and dog bins.
Dropping litter is an offence
Our enforcement officers can issue fixed penalty notice fines of £80, to people who drop litter on purpose.
If you are fined and do not pay, you can be prosecuted through the courts. This can lead to a fine of up to £1,000.
More information
Litter and road sweeping schedules
There are different schedules for cleaning litter, emptying litter bins and road sweeping, it depends on where it is.
Note: We only do extra cleaning to remove fallen leaves in November and December.
Community clean ups and volunteering
We are grateful to the volunteers who help keep Calderdale clean. We support registered volunteers and litter-picking groups by providing equipment and collecting the waste they gather.
If you’d like to help make a difference in your community, contact us at litter.watch@calderdale.gov.uk to start your volunteering journey.
We also organise clean-up campaigns with community groups. We also work with schools to make children aware of problems caused by littering. See: Cleaner neighbourhoods - get involved.
Our litter management plan
Litter is a concern for residents and businesses. It also impacts how others see our towns and villages. To address this, Calderdale Council has a plan to keep streets and green spaces clean while working within our available resources.
Our approach
We aim to have the right type of bin in the right place and ensure it is emptied reliably. To achieve this, we are implementing several measures:
Bin types
- We have introduced larger 240-litre wheelie bins inside bin housings. These bins hold twice as much waste as standard bins, fit larger items like pizza boxes, and reduce overflowing.
- Following a successful trial, we have installed 100 of these bins in locations such as Savile Park, King Cross/Queen’s Road, and Shibden Park.
- These bins are only suitable where there is enough space for safe installation and collection.
Bin placement
- Bins are being relocated to improve efficiency, particularly closer to roads for easier emptying.
- Many park bins will move to entrances and exits to allow for quicker servicing.
- Underused bins, such as those outside permanently closed shops, will be reviewed and possibly removed.
Optimising collection routes
- We are reviewing collection routes to maximise efficiency and ensure more bins can be emptied each day.
- Larger bins will support this by requiring fewer collections.
Smart bin sensors
- We are testing sensors that monitor bin fill levels and alert us when a bin needs emptying.
- This ensures bins are emptied before they overflow and helps staff work more efficiently.
Removing post-mounted bins
- Post-mounted bins are being phased out as they pose manual handling risks and have limited capacity.
- These bins often overflow, contributing to litter problems.
Litter picking and street sweeping
- By improving bin collection efficiency, we can dedicate more time to litter picking.
- Our fleet of mini and large sweepers will continue to clean high-footfall areas, especially during quieter times like early mornings.