Drivers using some of Bedfordshire’s major roads have been told to clean up their act by National Highways after thousands of bags of litter were picked up over the last year.
3277 bags were collected from the M1 and 899 bags from the A1(M) at a cost of just over £250,000.
3318 bags and 600 bags were also collected from the nearby M11 and A414 respectively.
Around 200,000 bags of litter are collected from the motorway network every year, with more than 8,000 bags from motorways and major roads in the East of England alone.
It costs around £60 to collect each sack, which is about the same cost as fixing a pothole.
To tackle the problem, National Highways are joining Keep Britain Tidy’s national litter-picking campaign, the Great British Spring Clean, to help reduce rubbish from the roads.
“Our priority is to keep our roads safe and well maintained, and litter is a huge issue that we’re tackling daily,” said Freda Rashdi, Head of Customer and Operational Requirements for National Highways.
“We value Keep Britain Tidy’s commitment to eliminating litter, as well as their partnership in our efforts to keep litter off our roads.
“The simple fact is that if litter wasn’t dropped in the first place it wouldn’t need to be picked up. So, this is an opportunity to remind people that they too can make a difference simply by saving litter for the bin.”
Devastating impact of litter
Litter takes a devastating toll on the environment and poses a serious safety risk .
Road verges and barriers form corridors where litter and debris build-up, creating hazards for road users, wildlife and the maintenance crews who have to then clean it up.
Takeaway wrappers and plastic bottles make up the majority of the rubbish, but unusual items also picked up by ‘litter operatives’ include tyres, pushbikes, fridges, settees and wallets.
National Highways picks litter throughout the year and carries out regular inspections to make sure England’s motorways and major A-roads are in good condition.
To report issues on England’s motorways or A-roads, call National Highways on 0300 123 5000.
You can find more information on the Great British Spring Clean at the Keep Britain Tidy website.
