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A special overnight operation to clear rubbish along the Crooked Mile in Waltham Abbey was mounted by EFDC and its waste contractor Biffa, last month.
Waste from moving vehicles
Practically all waste along the stretch from Waltham Abbey to Nazeing comes from moving vehicles. Items such as fast food containers, cigarette ends and even drinks bottles containing urine were collected in the operation which cost £3,000.
A specialist contractor was employed to place out all the required road works signs, control the traffic and use special illuminated vehicles to create a safety buffer between workers and oncoming vehicles.
Overnight clean-up the only answer
Cllr Nigel Avey, Cabinet Member for Environmental and Technical Services said:
Vehicles travel along this road constantly, at speed, so it is impossible to carry out a normal daytime cleansing operation because it would put workers in danger.
The overnight clean-up was the only answer.
1 in 7 drivers throw rubbish out of their car
1 in 7 drivers admits to throwing rubbish out of their car and according to the environment charity Keep Britain Tidy. It costs taxpayers more than £850million a year to clear up roadside rubbish.
New regulations (The Littering from Vehicles Outside London (Keepers: Civil Penalties) Regulations 2018) were introduced in April 2018 and local councils can issue a penalty notice to the registered owner of a car if it can be proved litter has been dumped from their vehicle, even if someone else threw it out.
Littering is a criminal offence
Cllr Holly Whitbread, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities said:
EFDC will issue a penalty notice to registered owners of cars witnessed as having litter thrown from them.
The penalty is £80 and if not paid, increases to £150. Littering is a criminal offence and we are committed to holding the perpetrators of this anti-social behaviour responsible for their actions.
This council will not tolerate this type of behaviour.
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