A41 gets a spring clean

Dacorum Borough Council’s Clean, Safe and Green team have completed a fantastic clear up of the A41. The crew of 17 operatives have done a brilliant job and collected four tonnes of rubbish in seven days.

Despite challenging conditions for staff logistics due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the clean-up crew cleared litter from over 20km of the A41, including slip roads. Six months ago the council’s litter-picking team cleared six tonnes of rubbish from the same stretch of the A41.

Clearing litter on high speed roads is an expensive task due to the traffic management involved. This particular clear-up cost nearly £28,000.

Portfolio Holder for Environment Sustainability and Regulatory Services, Councillor Alan Anderson, said, ‘I am very proud of our dedicated Clean, Safe and Green crews who in spite of everything have still managed to get out there and carry out this crucial clean-up. Remember to always keep your rubbish in your car until you can find a bin!’

Due to people still continuing to litter from their cars, it is necessary to carry out these large-scale clean-ups. Approximately £1 billion of tax payers’ money is spent in the UK every year cleaning up after people who toss their rubbish out of their car windows.

According to a recent study by Keep Britain Tidy, the top most littered items are cigarette butts, sweet wrappers, fast food packaging and bottles and cans (both soft drink and alcoholic).

Local authorities in the UK are able to fine the registered owner of a vehicle up to £150 if rubbish is seen being thrown out of their vehicle – regardless of whether it was them who threw it.

To help raise awareness about this issue and discourage people from illegal littering, the council has various anti-litter signs along the road.

Litter is not just illegal, unsightly and expensive to clear, it kills millions of mammals every year too as animals get stuck inside items like bottles and cans.

It is time for everyone to take responsibility for their rubbish. If residents care about our countryside and wildlife, they shouldn’t toss rubbish, they should keep it in the car and put it in a bin when they can. Better still, people should recycle it when they get home.

For more information on litter, including how to report it if you catch someone in the act, please visit www.dacorum.gov.uk/litter.