🕒 Article read time: 2 minutes
How HGV drivers can help tidy up Britain's roads
Did you know that an estimated 2.25 million pieces of litter are dropped every day in this country, with 73.3% of it associated with drinking (coffees, soft drinks and alcohol) according to Keep Britain Tidy?
And in addition to harming wildlife where it is dropped, research by Keep Britain Tidy shows that areas with high levels of rubbish dropped in them are likely to become even more littered as people believe that their own contribution to the problem does not matter.
Unfortunately, HGV and other commercial drivers are one of the biggest contributors to roadside litter across the strategic roads network, according to National Highways. So, to encourage a change in behaviour, Logistics UK has joined a new strategic task force to share advice and guidance on how to reduce roadside littering and improve the environment for all.
Here are their top three tips for the summer:
It is all too easy to pick up a coffee in a disposable cup when stopping at the roadside. However, try switching to a permanent “keep cup” – many coffee retailers give a discount for drinks sold to those using these cups, and there is the added benefit that the hot drink will stay warmer for longer than in a disposable cup.
Similarly, as the weather warms up, keep a refillable bottle in the cab and top it up regularly at water taps in service stations, restaurants and so on. An insulated bottle will keep your drink cooler than a plastic bottle and will reduce your impact on the environment.
Keep your cab tidy and free from empty bottles and food packaging – not only does it look unsightly and unprofessional, but rubbish rolling around in the cab can be dangerous while you’re driving if it gets under the pedals while the vehicle is moving.
If you keep your vehicle tidy and dispose of your litter regularly and safely in a bag or roadside bin, not only will the temptation to litter at the roadside be reduced, but your impact on the environment will be reduced significantly.
According to Keep Britain Tidy, 62% of people drop litter at some point – let’s all work together to reduce that number.
To find out more about the impact of litter on the environment please visit:
Published On: 08/08/2024 12:47:01
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News In Brief
Government pledges to revisit Ely Junction rebuild plans
Lord Peter Hendy, the new Minister of State for Rail, is set for talks with Network Rail about the future of the long-awaited revamp of Ely Junction in Cambridgeshire, which has been in the pipeline for many years.
The junction is a major intersection for both passenger and freight traffic and is where five railway lines, including those serving Norfolk and Suffolk, converge. Logistics UK has long called for improvements to this bottleneck to ease congestion and increase freight flows from Felixstowe.
Improvements were announced by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in October 2023 but there remained a lack of certainty surrounding funding and timescales.
A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said transport ministers recognised "the benefits the scheme could bring" for both freight and passenger services in East Anglia.
Ely Junction connects Norwich, Ipswich, Cambridge, Peterborough and King’s Lynn. However, it is currently operating at full capacity which limits the opportunity for growth of routes for passenger and cross-country freight services, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The last publicly released estimate for the project, in January 2020, suggested it would cost £500m but construction costs, along with inflation, have risen since then.
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