Six Tonnes of Rubbish Cleared from A41

Dacorum Borough Council’s Clean, Safe and Green team cleared six tonnes of rubbish in a seven-day litter pick of the A41.

The team worked alongside Ringway, a Highway Services organisation, which was carrying out work on the A41 meaning the council could work alongside them to carry out the clear up.

This helped save nearly £12,000 of tax payers’ money in traffic management costs and also minimised the disruption to road users. Litter picking high speed roads is a difficult and expensive task due to the road closures, vehicles and number of staff required.

Previously the team has been able to work from the King’s Langley M25 Roundabout to Cow Roast, near Tring clearing litter from slip roads, junctions and grass verges,. For the first time in two years, due to the work Ringway were carrying out, the crews had the opportunity to access the central reservations.

The crew of 17 staff had to work quickly to make the most of the opportunity as once Ringway carried out the work they needed to do, such as cutting grass and traffic management, they swiftly moved on.

Portfolio Holder for Environment Sustainability and Regulatory Services, Councillor Alan Anderson, said, ‘I have the upmost admiration for the council’s staff who day in, day out litter picking our roads in the borough – all the more on this occasion as it is the most dangerous road in Dacorum. It demonstrates the council’s commitment to keeping our borough as clean, safe and green as we can. The crew did an excellent job in challenging circumstances.’

Despite the saving of traffic management costs by partnering with Ringway, the litter pick still cost over £15,500. Six months ago the team cleared over five tonnes of rubbish from the same 18km stretch of the A41.

Approximately £1 billion tax payers’ money is spent in the UK every year cleaning up after people who toss their rubbish out of their car windows.

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

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

Litter is not just illegal, unsightly and expensive to clear, it kills millions of mammals every year too. Research has shown that more than eight per cent of littered bottles and nearly five per cent of drinks cans found on roadsides contain dead animals. Litter is killing rare and valuable species such as shrews, bank voles and wood mice, which are a vital food source for larger animals, especially birds of prey.

For more information on litter, including how to report visit: www.dacorum.gov.uk/litter.