The multi-agency Litter Committee met recently under the chairmanship of Minister for Environment John Cortes.

The Committee is made up of Government departments, agencies and contractors as well as NGOs and other stakeholders. Members include the Department of Environment and Climate Change, the Environmental Agency, the Royal Gibraltar Police, the Housing Works Agency and Housing Department, Britannia plc, GONHS, the ESG and Wake up Gibraltar.

The Committee regularly reviews such matters as littering and dumping, recycling, dog fouling and other issues related to the cleanliness of Gibraltar. The Government says that much of the progress made in recent years in relation to many of these, including the tightening up of legislation, has been discussed widely and openly in this forum which in this way assists in developing Government policies in response to real needs. It has also set up a network of contacts so that many day-to-day issues are resolved quickly and effectively between the entities represented.

The Committee is working on areas where further improvements are needed, such as increased recycling initiatives and public awareness.