The Government is piling pressure on retailers over high street litter from food products, and has raised the prospect of fines of up to£20,000.
Retailers have been asked to respond to the proposed Voluntary Code of Best Environmental Practice by January 30.
Among other things, the code requires stores to remove litter dropped by shoppers outside their premises.
Denise Dowen, head of environmental law at solicitors Halliwell Landau, said the code is voluntary, but retailers already face fines of£4,000 to£5,000 under the existing Environmental Protection Act (EPA) passed in 1990.
She warned that fines could be raised to the maximum EPA penalty of£20,000 if, as is often the case at present, retailers fail to act.
'Fast food operators and retailers are being encouraged to incorporate the code into their management handbooks so that it is properly communicated throughout the company,' says Dowen.
The EPA litter regulations are being largely overlooked at the moment, with only 10 per cent of local authorities serving a Street Litter Notice requiring stores to clear rubbish from outside their shops.
Dowen said the proposed code is a sign that the Government is turning up the heat on store groups and other 'businesses that sell any edible product which can be eaten immediately upon exiting the premises'.
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