Thousands of bags of rubbish are set to be collected over the coming weeks on England’s motorways and major A roads in support of the Great British Spring Clean.
Littering on England’s major roads is a problem all year round, a recent study conducted by National Highways revealed.
More than a fifth (22%) of people admit to littering on motorways and A roads, an increase of 9% (up from 13%) compared with 2024, with more than half (55%) unaware that littering could lead to delays due to road workers needing to pick up litter. Meanwhile, 35% of those surveyed did not consider how littering could injure or even kill wildlife, with the RSPCA estimating that nearly 3 million animals are killed each year due to littering.
For this year’s campaign, National Highways is planning community events, nighttime sweeps and staff volunteer events in a bid to tackle roadside rubbish and support the Keep Britain Tidy campaign.
Last year almost 8,000 bags of litter were collected by National Highways as part of the nationwide campaign.
Freda Rashdi, Head of Customer Journeys at National Highways said:
“Clearing litter from our roads causes unnecessary journey delays and costs the taxpayer millions of pounds a year, as well as endangering wildlife living close to our roads.
“Our message is really simple, littering of any kind is completely unacceptable. Putting your rubbish in the bin doesn’t just help us keep the roads moving and keep other drivers safe, it goes a long way to protecting wildlife and the environment.”
In partnership with Leeds City Council, the organisation kicked things off with a Community Action Day at Hunslet Moor Park, near the M621 in Leeds today (16 March 2026) to help the local community clean up litter in the area.
The event brought together local leaders from Leeds City Council as well as community groups such as the Friends of Hunslet Moor to collect rubbish that has been strewn across the park.
Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space, said:
“Litter picking is a great way to get involved in your local community, by helping make sure our green spaces and roads are kept tidy and welcoming.
“Littering is not just an eyesore, it can also cause injuries, fires and traffic delays, and it is not something we tolerate in Leeds. We’re proud to support the Great British Spring Clean and encourage everyone to take pride in helping look after their neighborhood and community.”
Among the items tossed from cars or dumped within the park include commonly littered items such as plastic and glass bottles, food packaging, as well as evidence of drug use – making the park an eyesore and putting the local community and local wildlife at risk.
National Highways will also be conducting litter picks and nighttime litter sweeps of the M621, with work going on up and down the country to clean up England’s roads.
Cllr Paul Wray (Labour, Hunslet & Riverside) said:
“The Friends of Hunslet Moor have done great job to make the area a cleaner and healthier place for all the people who live near it, offering vital supporting our teams at the council.
“It is fantastic, that as part of the Great British Spring Clean, National Highways will be joining them to give the area an extra deep clean, helping maintaining the moor that much easier for both residents and local wildlife.”
Samantha Gilmore, on behalf of the Friends of Hunslet Moor Park said:
“We have a real problem with litter on Hunslet Moor. Whether it’s from inconsiderate members of the public or blowing in from the surrounding roads and motorways, it’s a relentless job that we carry out twice a week. The forthcoming event with the Great British Spring Clean and National Highways will be a fantastic opportunity to look at this beautiful green space, it will hopefully encourage residents to respect where they live too and perhaps contribute to future litter picks.”
This post is based on a press release issued by National Highways
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