Broadcast from the Bins - Funnel Bins

Broadcast from the Bins 25^th September

New Funnel Bin Introduced to Tackle Roadside Litter

Litter is still a big problem in the UK. It’s unsightly, bad for the environment and wildlife, and it costs a fortune to clear up, with some estimates suggesting that it costs taxpayers £850 million per year to clean it up.

Our motorways and other roads are often blackspots for litter. A survey found that as many as 1 in 7 drivers regularly throw rubbish from their cars. Highways England is charged with clearing up this litter and coordinating campaigns to tackle the problem.

The problem of litter

Government ministers have spoken with Highways England and have discussed that the current litter strategies aren’t working, and this is despite the fact that penalties for littering are now much harsher. Earlier this year, drivers were informed that they were responsible for any litter that is thrown from their car, even if the litter belonged to a passenger, and fines for people who litter in the streets could be as much as £150 if new measures proposed to tackle the increasing litter problem are introduced.

Highways England

Highways England clears around 200,000 sacks of rubbish each year from the roads they are responsible for.

What they do

Highways England collect over 7,500 tonnes of litter from the roads each year, and they are constantly stepping up litter monitoring and enforcement of fines and other penalties. They often work with local authorities to carry out litter picking, and they coordinate campaigns to encourage people not to drop litter.

The introduction of ‘funnel bins’

Large bins have been stationed at the side of roads all over England to encourage drivers to dispose of their rubbish correctly, without needing to get out of their car, rather than just throwing it out of the window. The bins are to be trialled in the North West of England first, and they will be rolled out in phases, starting at the Lymm services on the M6 in Cheshire. If the bins prove to be a success, more bins will be rolled out across the country. The bins were previously piloted in Hampshire where they reduced litter by 25%.