New funnel bins have been installed at Strensham Services which are the right height to enable people at the wheel of lorries and cars to throw out their rubbish from the driver’s seat.

As people take advantage of the eased lockdown restrictions it is hoped this will help tackle the problem of rubbish littering motorways and major roads and persuade drivers to enjoy summer safely and responsibly.

Litter presents a serious safety risk besides being unsightly and a risk to wildlife and the environment.
Around 200,000 bags of litter are collected from Highways England’s motorways every year, figures have shown, and the company will be taking part in Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British September Clean (11-27 September) following the cancellation of the Great British Spring Clean.

Four HGV height and four car height funnel bins have been donated by Highways England to the Strensham services, on the M5 near Worcester, so road users can get rid of their rubbish before leaving the site.

And there are plans to introduce more bins at other services in the region in the near future.

Highways England Litter Champion Mandeep Nandray said: “Litter is not just unsightly, it puts our workers at risk collecting litter from roadsides and diverts time and money that could be better spent on improving the network. It is also damaging for wildlife and the environment.

“If people don’t drop litter in the first place it wouldn’t need to be picked up. Therefore we are targeting those drivers who would rather throw their rubbish out of the vehicle rather than get out and find a bin.

“There are simply no excuses anymore – bin it!”

Almost 17,500 bags of litter were collected from the roadside in the West Midlands region alone last year, as well as more than 560 items of debris. Litter is often a problem around motorway service stations.

Highways England has also joined forces with local councils to tackle unsightly and hazardous litter.

The Government company, which is responsible for operating, maintaining and improving the country’s motorways and major A roads, pumped £80,000 into the initiative in the South West.

Councils are responsible for clearing litter from the majority of A roads, and after local authorities in the South West identified the worst littered laybys in their areas, Highways England installed bins and ‘keep it tidy’ signs in 14 laybys, to encourage drivers not to litter.