New Penalties for Littering from Vehicles Being Enforced More Strictly
Under the amendments to the Russian Federation Administrative Offenses Code, penalties for littering in public spaces have become stricter. The updates place particular emphasis on fines for discarding waste from a moving vehicle, a point stressed by the Consumer Protection Department.
Waste encompasses both organic and inorganic materials. Common items such as candy wrappers, seeds, bottles, and cigarette butts are frequently tossed from car windows by drivers who show little regard for the environment.
How fines are structured has changed. Individuals who throw garbage from a car window can now expect fines ranging from 10,000 to 15,000 rubles. For second violations, the fines increase to 20,000 to 30,000 rubles.
Officials face fines of 20,000 to 30,000 rubles for a first offense and 40,000 to 60,000 rubles for a second.
Legal entities encounter fines from 30,000 to 50,000 rubles, with repeated violations raising the amount to 60,000 to 100,000 rubles. In certain cases, confiscation of the vehicle may also occur.
The amount of the penalty also depends on the type of vehicle involved. For those who discard waste from trucks or tractors, fines can be 40,000 to 50,000 rubles for individuals and 60,000 to 80,000 rubles for officials on a first offense, rising to 70,000 to 100,000 rubles for repeated violations and potentially including confiscation. For legal entities, penalties can be 100,000 to 120,000 rubles initially and 150,000 to 200,000 rubles on repeated offenses, with confiscation possible as well.
Igor Pozdnyakov, a legal adviser in the consumer rights protection department at Roskachestvo, noted that photo and video evidence, including material from surveillance cameras, can be used to prove a violation. This means there is always a real risk of incurring a fine.