Drivers urged to ‘Bag it, Bin it!’

14.10 | 18 August 2011 |

The Highways Agency will be using Twitter and roadside variable message signs to remind drivers to dispose of their litter responsibly, as it can be hazardous to other road users.

The Highways Agency collects around 240,000 sacks of litter from England’s motorways every year. It is encouraging drivers to keep a bag for rubbish in their vehicle, until it can be disposed of in a bin.

Mike Penning, road safety minister, said: “Litter is an unsightly and unnecessary burden and one that we can easily avoid – that’s why we are asking all road users to do something very simple to make the roads safer and more pleasant for everyone. The money and resources spent removing nearly a quarter of a million sacks of litter from England’s motorways could be much better spent elsewhere.

“We have a simple ‘Bag it, Bin it!’ message: an easy way to help us reduce litter is for drivers to keep a bag in their vehicle to store rubbish, and dispose of it safely. If we all took this simple step, it would be a really positive move in tackling roadside litter.”

Phil Barton, Keep Britain Tidy chief executive, said: “Litter is a blight on our environment, making places look unloved and run-down.

“It is not a problem that should be difficult to solve. Doing the right thing is easy and costs nothing. Everyone needs to simply take responsibility for their rubbish. Even when driving, it’s not difficult to put it aside and to bin it when you arrive.

"Our roads should not be seen as being one giant litter bin – the cost of cleaning up after the thoughtless minority is too high and the environmental impact is unacceptable.”

For more information contact Abbas Abdulla on 0121 678 5992.

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