The government has nearly doubled the maximum penalty for dropping litter.
From today, 1st April, councils will be able to fine anyone caught dropping litter up to £150 on-the-spot. The previous maximum penalty was an £80 on-the-spot fine.
The government has also given councils new powers to fine drivers who are caught throwing litter from car windows.
The government says it costs councils £680m a year to clear up litter, the BBC reports, but alongside today's announcement, they have warned local authorities not to abuse the new higher penalty.
Environment minister Thérèse Coffey said: "These new fines will tackle anti-social behaviour by hitting litter louts in the pocket, whether it's litter that is thrown from a vehicle or dropped in the street.
"Littering is a scourge on our environment and we waste taxpayers' money cleaning it up - funds which could be better spent in the community.
"We want to be the first generation to leave our environment in a better state than we found it, and I encourage everyone to take responsibility for their litter and recycle more."
On Twitter, environmental campaign group Clean Up Britain said they "welcome these increased fines," but warned: "They won't be effective until they are rigorously enforced across the country."
"At the moment, many Councils have no one enforcing the law. Litterers in these areas have ZERO chance of being caught," the group added.
The new litter fine follows the government's announcement of plans to introduce a "deposit return scheme" to crack down on plastic bottle waste. The scheme, which is currently in consultation, will use a financial incentive to encourage people to recycle as many plastic bottles as possible.
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