A new talking compacting bin has been installed in a layby near Upottery, and will be monitored as a trial, with the aim of rolling out further bins in the future.
The new bin – the first installed by National Highways on a South West roadside – has a larger, 570-litre capacity than standard bins and operates by compacting the waste people drop into the machine.
Working on sensors, the bin will indicate when it’s reaching capacity and message East Devon’s Streetscene teams when full, saving operatives time on their collection routes – and it will even offer up a courtesy ‘thank you’ message to any responsible drivers using the bin during their travel breaks!
Litter collection along the A303 and other major A roads costs local councils millions of pounds each year and by compacting waste, the new bin will save costs by reducing the number of collection visits.
As part of the Great British Spring Clean effort earlier in the spring, National Highways’ teams have just collected close to three tonnes of litter from roads in the South West.
Since last April to the end of March this year, in the South West alone, National Highways has seen 3,952 bags collected, equating to a staggering 27,664 kilos – or 28 tonnes of litter.
Having supported Keep Britain Tidy’s campaign for 11 years, the company, responsible for England’s motorways and major A roads, has organised community events, nighttime sweeps and staff volunteer events during this year’s big spring clean in a bid to tackle roadside rubbish across the country.
Mr Gale added: “Litter is a huge issue and while it was good to be involved in the Great British Spring Clean, it’s an everyday activity for our contractors, keeping on top of the litter blight.
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