To think that the litter on our roads has got to ridiculous levels?

[inigomontoyahwillcox]

Maybe it's just where I live (NW Essex - M11, A11 are my usual major roads) but the amount of litter on the motorways, dual carriageways, and A roads is just crazy! It feels like we're living in a country with minimal infrastructure. It became very clear yesterday during the high winds not only how bloody awful it looks, but also dangerous it is in high winds (we had some litter hit our windshield).

I understand it's hard to collect litter from verges and central reservations due to the traffic, but we seemed to manage in the past (and other countries seem to deal with it) - or has littering/dumping gotten out of control? Where does it all come from anyway? Are people just throwing it out of their windows?!

Car obviously.

omg this is exactly what I’ve been thinking. I live in N1 it’s literally like apocalypse sometimes. Especially last few days been a bit windy it’s flying everywhere!!!
Has all the council been cutting street cleaners ?!

The A12 is littered with urine filled bottles.

Yes it's everywhere. I don't know whether people are just uncaring lazy cretins, or whether councils aren't picking up anymore, or a mix of both.

But it is terrible.

Do people really just chuck stuff out of their cars? If so, why?

I do get that tips have made it much more difficult to use them, and councils simply don't want to deal with rubbish despite it being a core part of their job and what we pay council tax for. But it's not even the fly tipping which is bad enough in itself - it's the leaving litter everywhere that is so horrible.

I think generally, it's not children (because they aren't driving the cars) but adults doing this. There are several reasons for the litter, I think. Food packaging isn't biodegradable these days and everything is wrapped. people buy more snacks 'on the go'. Councils don't have the resources to close roads and pick up the litter. yes - these are all reasons, but they are not excuses. In other words, if you bought a snack and ate it, in your car, there is no excuse for not keeping the wrappers in your car until you get home. It's just selfish and lazy to discard it and expect money to be diverted to cleaning up after you, when there are far better uses for public money.

I keep hoping the litter will disappear into the pot holes, double whammy!

Hi oh Jesus aren’t always responsible even for the bigger roads though. EG the most appalling stretch of the A2 Dover - Brenley Corner is the responsibility of the local authorities. Dover, Canterbury and Swale. A major clean up by Canterbury council a couple of years ago cost a whopping GBP20,000.00 and required lane closure. And whilst it may be difficult with budgets being cut, it’s the responsibility of those LAs to deal with it. That route is obviously used by a lot of lorries driving to and from the port obviously and there was an inordinate amount of bottles of urine chucked in the verges amongst other things. It really is quite obviously noticeable in the South East tbh, I drive a lot to Yorkshire and to Wales and though they have some of the same issues, they seem to have way more civic pride in their local environments. Really really noticeable.

Highways! Not Jesus, definitely not his responsibility! 😂

Do people really just chuck stuff out of their cars? If so, why?
Because they are scummy louts - I have witnessed it. These are people who just don't give a shit about others.

We are rural but on a busy a road for the hgvs coming on/off the ferries and for logging lorries.... Hence Lots of laybys for them to sleep in, the rubbish is horrendous!! Our village council has managed to get a large bin put on the lay by in our village which has helped. But the ones between villages are horrendous.

There's not more litter. There's less money to pay for people to pick it up.

I don't understand why young offenders or prisoners are not used for litter picking. It would be a positive thing for them to do.

I also think a few litter picking sessions per year should be mandatory for secondary school pupils.

The town I live in has a large and enthusiastic litter picking community group so it's not too bad but some of the local main roads are horrendous.

It's always shocking to see if you only visit the Uk and don't live there.

I think there definitely is more litter and it's mainly take away packaging.

All the above, there's more litter, fewer resources to deal with it and a general lack of care from complete who think it's ok to chuck out of windows. Plus blowing out of lorries etc. It's utterly depressing, anyone arriving in Britain must think wtaf as they drive away from ports, airports etc

Every day it seems to me I see white vans and builders trucks either dump McDonalds and Costa’s out the window or have bits of plastic crap fall off their vans. Gross! I think as they are higher up I notice them more tbh. Nothing against tradies.

We recently stayed in our old area in north east London and I couldn’t get over the amount of litter all over the streets. Some must be the urban foxes ripping into stuff but most ie clearly just dropped. A friend said she hadn’t seen a street sweeper for months. We all say the councils have had their budgets slashed but at the same time council tax goes up every year, and so are charges for all sorts of other things …so where is the return. I also thought parks could do that ‘friends of X park’ and do a little pick once in a while. Parents seemed totally oblivious of littler all over the playgrounds and it was grim stuff like dirty nappies.

We've commented recently that we've actually seen lots of people litter picking (individuals and community groups). We do a couple of bags a week when out for a week - it feels like pissing in the wind sometimes.

We need a reintroduction of the old keep Britain tidy campaign, starting with 5 year olds at school, and actually fining litter louts and giving them litter picking community service.

I've said on here before we once followed a 4 wheel drive up through a Northumberland national park and every five miles or so a piece of rubbish was lobbed out of the car window - crisp bags, plastic bottles, all sorts of crap. I have never wanted to drive a tank so desperately.

It's been a long time since the 'keep Britain tidy' campaigne

We had it drummed into us as Kids that you took your rubbish home

@Coxspurplepippin it can be incredibly disheartening - especially when you busy your arse clearing a long stretch of road and then 5 minutes later there’s litter again.

It feels good though.

If everyone did some every week we’d have our beautiful country back 😢

This is completely wrong. I live in a small country village and there has NEVER been anyone employed to pick up litter. Before lockdown there was not much. Now the roads in and out of the village are covered with it. I have a litter pick and a plastic hoop for the bags and do a sweep every so often. You literally see school mums and delivery drivers throw stuff out of the window.

Our village has a couple of litter wardens, paid for a few hours a week. It actually has cut the amount of litter overall as it's a main drive through route for many commuters, and I think it's so tidy they feel ashamed to chuck.

It's horrible.

My city has a Clean up litterpicking weekend and I did a stint. Pretty awful in the nature reserve. But my fingers itch to stop on a busy road to do it. Realistically it's hugely unsafe though.

Id love all roads to close for the Coronation and for everyone to clear litter. Only trouble is there would be tons of it.

There is SO MUCH packaging on everything.

It is horrendous in schools as well, its getting worse and when you ask a student to put their rubbish in the bin the responses are shocking. I have been teaching 14 years and its getting worse - they also make more. Finish a water bottle then lets cut it up in to small pieces, rip the label off and shred it. I refuse to let mine leave until the room is tidy.

They do like to moan about the seagulls pooing on them - don't like it when we point out its due to the food they drop on the floor. No kids in school, no birds to be seen!

Yes this should be resurrected

Our area is ok, the streets are cleaned well stuff picked up

Some places sound bad reading on here