Highways England Set to Join Great British Spring Clean

Highways England Set to Join Great British Spring Clean

Highways England has urged drivers to do their bit to reduce litter levels on motorways. Litter is unsafe for drivers, as well as being unsightly, and a risk to wildlife and the environment.

A huge 200,000 bags of litter are collected from the sides of motorways every year, and so Highways England has stepped up and announced that it’s set to join Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean again this year. 

Money spent on cleanups could be better spent

Highways England’s head of operations said that it’s pleased to be supporting the Great British Spring Clean because litter is a huge issue. It looks awful, it’s bad for animals and the environment, and highway teams are put at risk when they have to go out to collect it. She added that the money spent on clean-ups could be used on improvements to the road network instead. Highways England has reminded people to avoid dropping litter in the first place and has urged them to take it home instead of throwing it out of their car windows.

The Great British Spring Clean is running from Friday 22nd March until Tuesday 23rd April. While Highways England picks litter throughout the year, It’s stepping up its efforts throughout March.

The Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy said that it’s delighted that Highways England is joining in with the campaign again to help give the road network a much-needed spring clean. She added that verges at the sides of motorways are a haven for many wildlife, many of which are killed by litter that has been thrown from vehicles.

500,000 volunteers are set to join the campaign

Highways England will join up to 500,000 volunteers who will clean up our towns, cities, parks, and countryside throughout the month-long cleanup campaign.

In 2018, 8,000 bags of litter were collected on the motorway network during the Great British Spring Clean, despite hardy volunteers having to contend with the appalling weather the ‘Beast from the East’ brought with it. Highways England estimates that it will beat the previous achievement this year.

The rubbish it has collected from roadsides in past cleanups has included bikes, fridges, settees, and wallets. The mind boggles!