Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of current bin provision beside waterways in urban areas.

We have not made an assessment of the adequacy of bin provision beside waterways in urban areas.

Under section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, The Canal and River Trust has a duty to keep the land they are responsible for clear of litter and refuse. It would be for them to work out how they can best comply with the duty, considering the standards set out in statutory Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse.

An adequate cleansing regime alongside the provision of public litter bins can help to maintain acceptable standards of cleanliness on land managed by a duty body. WRAP have previously provided guidance on the provision of litter bins which is available at https://www.wrap.ngo/resources/guide/binfrastructure-right-bin-right-place

The Canal and River Trust also has a responsibility to remove litter and fly-tipping in canals where it would interfere with navigation.

This Government is committed to reducing waste by transitioning to a circular economy. As part of this we remain focused on delivering the Collection and Packaging Reforms including the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). The DRS will go live in October 2027. It will introduce a redeemable deposit on single-use in-scope drinks containers which can be claimed back by customers when the empty container is returned. This will reduce litter alongside canals, increase recycling rates, create high quality recyclate for producers, and promote a circular economy.