Council Warns Freesheets Over Waste
Free afternoon newspapers thelondonpaper and London Lite could be banned from areas in central London if they do not contribute towards the cost of cleaning them from the streets, Westminster Council has warned.
The council says that the freesheets generate an extra three tonnes of waste every day in Westminster.
Westminster council is apparently considering invoking the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, under which local authorities are able to ban the distribution of free literature if it pollutes the environment.
Free newspapers account for a quarter of all waste collected in the West End.
The council has estimated that cleaning up the papers and providing an extra 300 recycling bins would cost an extra £500,000.
Westminster Council is in negotiations with both News International and Associated Press about the problem.
In October, NewsLine reported that the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea was making thelondonpaper and London Lite cut the volume of vendors that distribute the titles on its streets, partly in response to the rubbish problem (see Free Newspapers Told To Cut Vendors).
In the December ABCs, the London Lite had a total circulation of 400,692, a monthly increase of 1.4%, whilst thelondonpaper‘s circulation was slightly higher at 410,898, having dropped by 3.4% month on month (see London Lite Closes Gap On thelondonpaper).
News International: 020 7782 3922 www.newscorp.co.uk Associated Newspapers: www.associatednewspapers.com