ASH comment on tobacco industry funding for Keep Britain Tidy

Last week, the Times reported that the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy (KBT) has received at least £10 million from the Tobacco Manufacturers Association (TMA) via a 'middleman', CleanStreets CIC. This caused KBT’s annual income to more than triple in 2022/23. 

Following this, KBT published a response, which has also been shared with local authorities, stating that their funding arrangement with CleanStreets commenced following “a meeting convened by government that included the tobacco manufacturers, Keep Britain Tidy and another charity, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)”, and that the then-Environment Minister Rebecca Pow “wished to understand what was preventing the tobacco industry from working with organisations independent of government, such as Keep Britain Tidy, to tackle this problem.” 

This has caused significant confusion among local authorities, including creating the wrongful impression that ASH were party to the agreement between CleanStreets and KBT. 

ASH was not party to any agreement between CleanStreets and KBT and we have explicitly stated that a voluntary scheme with the tobacco industry would not be appropriate.

In 2020, DEFRA convened a meeting to discuss smoking-related litter with representatives of the tobacco industry and KBT. ASH attended as an observer, the minutes are online here. DEFRA convened the meeting to discuss the possibility of a voluntary producer responsibility scheme involving the tobacco industry. At the meeting ASH advised that “a voluntary scheme would not be appropriate, and only a legally binding solution is suitable”, due to Article 5.3 of the FCTC which requires public bodies to protect policymaking from the vested interests of the tobacco industry.

The Government later concluded in 2021 that a regulatory scheme, rather than a voluntary scheme, may be required (see this press release): “At the September roundtable on Smoking Related Litter, Minister Pow encouraged parties to consider whether a non-regulatory producer responsibility scheme could be developed for tobacco waste products. Having considered further evidence, the Government has decided that a regulatory approach may be required to ensure that the industry takes sufficient financial responsibility for the litter created by its products and to prevent them from undermining public health policy.”

In no way does this constitute ASH endorsing a voluntary arrangement with the tobacco industry. DHSC guidance for public bodies on Article 5.3 clearly states that organisations in receipt of funding from tobacco companies are defined as part of the tobacco industry. This means that organisations like KBT which accept funding from the TMA – regardless of whether it is via a third party – should be treated with the same level of caution and transparency as tobacco manufacturers. This can only happen if funding arrangements are transparent, with any conflicts of interest declared. It is hard to argue that this has been the case with CleanStreets and KBT.

ASH will be issuing guidance to local authorities and our networks to support them as they navigate this issue. If you have any questions, please get in touch at enquries@ash.org.uk