Inside the issues: an update from our Policy and Research Team

The weather isn’t the only thing that’s heated up this summer. It has been an incredibly busy year so far for our Policy and Research Team, with lots of litter surveys, policy activity, meetings with partners and a new Government in Wales. Here, the team shares an update on some of the key developments. So, what has been happening?

Live litter data

We’ve officially passed the halfway point in our 2026 litter surveys using our new monitoring methodology (GLÂN) which was piloted last year.

For the first time, our live data is available on our website, so you can now take a deeper dive into litter data across Wales or in your area.

You can explore litter types, how “clean” a site was when we surveyed and the specific survey data for each site. The full 2025 dataset is available, as well as our live data for the ongoing 2026 survey season. Let us know what you find – just email leq@keepwalestidy.cymru.

A Welsh Deposit Return Scheme is fast approaching

Did you know, 72.6% of sites we surveyed last year had drinks litter? That’s an estimated 4,347,008 items!

We hope littered plastic bottles and aluminium cans will become a thing of the past as a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is set to launch across the UK in October 2027.

There has been recent pushback by the drinks industry on Welsh ambitions to include glass and reuse, however evidence from international DRS examples support glass inclusion. Welsh Government remain committed to the Welsh regulations that were passed early this year, and everyone is working hard to iron out the details ready for launch.

Sharing our views on polluter pays principles

We recently responded to a consultation on extended producer responsibility (EPR) for litter. Put simply, this means we shared Keep Wales Tidy’s views on a new policy idea to help inform future decisions.

EPR for litter would mean that producers must pay towards the cost of cleaning up litter which would lighten the burden on taxpayers and local authority resources. We provided evidence (like litter data!) and fully support the principle and introduction of EPR for litter, and highlighted our key principles:

• Prevention-first approach.
• System-wide producer responsibility.
• Data-led decision making.
• National consistency.

Visitor levies gaining interest

We have responded to four local consultations so far this year to show our support for visitor levies. Tourism is hugely valuable to the Welsh economy, but it can also put extra pressure on local services across Wales. Last year, Welsh Government passed a law that allows local authorities to introduce county-wide visitor levies.

Visitor levies are common around the world and the idea is simple – a small charge for people staying in overnight tourist accommodation is reinvested into the local area to keep it safe, clean and enjoyable to attract returning visitors.

Local consultations encourage responses from individuals, businesses and organisations, so keep an eye out on Welsh Government’s website to see if your area is consulting.

What else is coming up?

There is plenty more on the horizon for the Policy and Research Team. We will be responding to consultations on littering from vehicles, fireworks and vape packaging. We will also be contributing to discussions on wildfires, forever chemicals and the role of waste and bin infrastructure, or “binfrastructure”, in supporting cleaner communities.

Follow us on Bluesky @policy.keepwalestidy.cymru for all the latest or contact us on leq@keepwalestidy.cymru with any questions.