National Highways invests in innovative tech-based litter trials
National Highways is trialling tech-based approaches in its efforts to cut down on litter on its roads.
National Highways is trialling tech-based approaches in its efforts to cut down on litter on its roads.
To coincide with this year’s Great British Spring Clean, the company has announced two new innovative litter trials to help reduce the amount of litter on the network: ‘geo-fencing’ laybys and solar-powered compactor bins.
National Highways has trialled messaging to reduce motorway littering using ‘geofencing’ to send messages to drivers entering laybys where littering is prevalent, urging them to use bins or take their litter home.
Geofencing is the use of GPS (Global Positioning System) technology to create a ‘virtual geographic boundary’, enabling software to trigger a response when a mobile device enters or leaves a particular area.
Around 100 laybys on the A50 in Derby, and the A180 en route to Immingham Port were ‘geofenced’ for the trial which lasted three months. Messages informing drivers to ‘Bin Your Litter’ or ‘Take your litter home’ were delivered to drivers who stopped in these laybys. The trial was able to identify the two most heavily used laybys - those which attracted the most read messages. As of 31 January 2024, a total of 245,021 messages were viewed. This intelligence will allow National Highways to develop strategies to better tackle litter at those locations.
Solar-powered compactor bins have been trialled since October 2023 in a layby on the A180. Due to the volume of litter being placed into the bins, the bins were regularly overflowing. Installing compactor bins, which crush the litter, has addressed the issue.
This has enabled the local authority to reduce their emptying regime from six days a week to two, saving time, money and improving road worker safety.
The company also makes use of digital variable messaging signs (VMS) in selected regions to display roadside messages reminding road users to dispose of their litter responsibly.
Freda Rashdi, Head of Customer Journeys for National Highways, said:
“We are trialling a range of innovative tech-based solutions to tackle littering on our network, as part of our ongoing campaign to tackle this dreadful social problem.
“National Highways is supporting the Great British Spring Clean for its ninth year and we are staging litter picks across the country. We value Keep Britain Tidy’s commitment to eliminating litter for the last 70 years.
“We’re also exploring ways to reduce the contractor equipment debris left behind after roadworks – which our customers regularly highlight to us as an eyesore.
“The simple fact is that if litter wasn’t dropped in the first place it wouldn’t need to be picked up. So, this is an opportunity to remind people that they too can make a difference simply by saving litter for the bin.”
Allison Ogden-Newton, Chief Executive of environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, said:
“Drivers mindlessly tossing their rubbish out of their windows is a blight on our country and does untold harm to our wildlife, as well as making our country looked dirty and unloved.
“We welcome National Highways stepping up to the challenge of tackling this environmental vandalism with their new initiatives and we look forward to seeing the results and, if successful, their roll-out across the nation’s road network.
“In the meantime, it is great to have their support for this year’s Great British Spring Clean. Thousands of volunteers will clear more than 350,000 bags of rubbish from our streets, parks and beaches during the campaign but they cannot clean up the motorway slip roads and central reservations that are so often covered with litter so it is great that National Highways will be doing their own litter-picks.”
Last month, National Highways launched its new litter campaign, teaming up with the RSPCA to urge road users to ‘Lend a Paw – bin your litter’. The RSPCA revealed it had received over 10,000 reports of animals found injured, trapped or dead from discarded litter in the last 3 years – nearly 10 per day. The campaign is featured on radio adverts, roadside billboards, posters at motorway service areas and petrol stations, and on social media.
National Highways complies with its duties under the Environmental Protection Act and is responsible for collecting litter from England’s motorways and a small number of A-roads. It works closely with partners, including local authorities, who collect litter on most of the country’s A-roads.
Freda Rashdi, Head of Customer Journeys for National Highways, will be available for interview and comment Thursday 21st March 10am – 12pm and Friday 22nd March 8am – 9am.
Get more information on the Great British Spring Clean.
Notes to Editors
National Highways is the wholly government-owned company responsible for modernising, maintaining and operating England’s motorways and major A roads.
Real-time traffic information for England’s motorways and major A roads is available via the Traffic England website, local and national radio travel bulletins, electronic road signs and mobile apps. Local Twitter services are also available.
For further information please contact National Highways' press office (24hrs) on 0844 693 1448 and select the most appropriate option:
Option 1: National enquiries (9am to 5.30pm) and out of hours for urgent enquiriesOption 2: North West (9am to 5.30pm)Option 3: Yorkshire and North East (9am to 5.30pm)Option 4: West Midlands (9am to 5.30pm)Option 5: East Midlands (9am to 5.30pm)Option 6: East (9am to 5.30pm)Option 7: South East (9am to 5.30pm)Option 8: South West (9am to 5.30pm)
