Some of East Dunbartonshire’s busiest rural roads will be the focus of a concentrated campaign of litter removal during a Week of Action from May 12 to 20.
In a bid to tackle the unsightly issue, East Dunbartonshire Council has signed up to a national campaign being coordinated by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful.
As this type of refuse collection can be dangerous and costly, the campaign will emphasise that prevention is the best solution. Motorists will be urged to “give their litter a lift, and take it home”.
Operatives from the Council’s Greenspace and Streetscene team, along with local volunteers, will be carrying out a targeted cleaning programme including Balmore Road, pictured, which is used by 13,000 vehicles every day and is a hot spot for litter.
Cllr Susan Murray, Vice-Convener of Place, Neighbourhood and Community Assets, said, “The spring is a good time to clear litter that has built-up on our road verges. Accessing this litter can be very difficult and dangerous for our crews, but it is important to clean it up before it gets lost in spring growth or shredded during routine grass cutting.
“Unfortunately, despite these efforts, litter will continue to land on our roadsides due to the bad habits of a small number of thoughtless individuals. We hope that people will understand the damage that this behaviour does and stop expecting others to risk their lives in order to clean up their rubbish.
“The solution really is simple: keep you litter in the vehicle until you find the next suitable bin. It is what most people do.”
Thomas McMenamin, Greenspace and Streetscene Manager, added: “Cleaning road verges is always a daunting operation for our teams, made all the more disheartening as we watch the litter start to build up again, mere days after we’ve finished clearing up.”
Figures from Keep Scotland Beautiful show that the amount of litter and flytipping in Scotland is at its’ worst level in a decade, with 82.8% of motorways and A class roadside verges recording a presence of litter in 2016/17.
Carol Noble, Operations Director at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “We recognize that each piece of litter on our roadsides, in our parks and on our streets, was discarded by a thoughtless individual.
“Those who clean litter up, the local authority staff, the road operators and the volunteers are not to blame. Littering is illegal. We need individuals to do the right thing; to use a bin or to take their litter home.”
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