A MARKED increase in roadside litter has led to a new campaign to stamp it out.

Over the last three years, Scotland TranServ operatives have removed an increasing volume of litter.

As well as the usual offenders such as takeaway trash, discarded drinks bottles and cans and burnt out cigarette butts, there are also larger items including beds, baths and barbecues that have been recovered.

Carole Noble, Operations Director at Keep Scotland Beautiful said: “Those who clean litter up, the road operators, local authorities’ staff 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.”

Scotland TranServ works with local authorities across South West Scotland to address the litter blight. TranServ’s operatives tidy unwanted trash from motorway verges under their contracts whilst this duty sits with councils for the remaining trunk roads and local roads.

Andrew Adam, Scotland TranServ’s Operations Manager admits:“ It’s a major headache, often requiring lane closures and putting our operatives at risk as lorries and cars speed past just a few metres away. Ultimately the responsibility is with drivers to properly dispose of their rubbish.”

Closer to home, Keep Scotland Beautiful has revealed some startling statistics. The types of roadside litter are drinks cans/bottles (63%) and food/fast food packaging (61%), with takeaway cups (30%), plastic and paper bags (33%) and cigarette related litter (31%).

Andy Fraser, Scotland TranServ’s Operating Company Representative concluded:“Responsibility ultimately lies with motorists who wantonly discard their rubbish out of their vehicle windows.

"Cleaning up this mess costs us thousands of pounds each year, and this is money that could be better invested in resurfacing trunk roads; the required lane closures would be reduced and we wouldn’t need to put our operatives at risk, just to clear the clutter carelessly left behind by others.”
More information about keep Scotland Beautiful’s campaign can be found online at: https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/roadside-litter