After Sheffield courts issued £44,500 worth of fines for littering in a single day, Sheffield communities have spoken out about their efforts to keep the streets clean, with a rise in drug paraphernalia dumped around the city.

Naomi Lopez, 62, is a new resident of Park Hill Flats and nine months ago, organised a second South Street Park litter picking group as she saw the problem grow rapidly.

The issue of nitrous oxide canister disposal – an illegal, psychoactive drug – is one of her biggest concerns and is now a problem across the entire city.

The drug is regularly inhaled by people travelling in cars and thrown from the windows onto roadside verges for litter pickers to find.

Ms Lopez said: “It can be demoralizing to clean an area and return a few days later to find it just as bad’.”

She argued the council simply doesn’t have enough resources to keep enforcing fines that are enough of a deterrent, as the £44,500 worth of fines were only processed through Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on March 7 2025 despite the 122 cases occurring last August.

As concerns over littering and fly-tipping are rising dramatically, Sheffield Litter Pickers have become an integral pillar of the community as dedicated volunteers utilise their free time to clear the green spaces, woodlands, streets, and parks that are covered in litter.

Julie Gay, 64, from Totley, is a prominent figure within Sheffield Litter Pickers and highlights the priority to preserve the Green City as an increase in cannabis waste fly-tipping and dangerous disposal of nitrous oxide canisters all over Sheffield is polluting local moorland streams and damaging wildlife in that area. 

“I feel utter despair at the state of our roadsides and verges,” said Ms Gay.

Alongside cannabis and nitrous oxide waste dumps, Sheffield Litter Pickers highlighted the increase in plastic waste, such as single-use vapes and alcohol cans, fuelling the problem, as well as takeaway boxes scattered along high streets within the city centre. 

Malcolm Camp, another volunteer for Sheffield Litter Pickers, said community efforts have been ongoing for over 20 years, and while it ‘can be good for positive community vibes’, rubbish removal should not be solely the responsibility of volunteers, and local and national authorities need to take action.

Despite the challenges, community litter pickers remain dedicated as Ms Lopez referred to the volunteers as an ‘army’ and that ‘people really appreciate the work we do with the positive interactions of passers-by keeping us motivated’.

The Environmental Agency said councils can issue up to £1000 fines to fly-tippers, and can be reported at https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/pollution-nuisance/fly-tipping-and-litter, which is usually dealt with in two-three days.