Motorists in Renfrewshire are being asked to think before throwing litter onto the roadside.
More than 50 tonnes of litter has been collected from the roadside in the past six months following the introduction of a dedicated Rapid Response Team (RRT).
Part of Renfrewshire Council’s successful Team Up to Clean Up campaign, the Roadside Litter RRT are tackling discarded litter on verges and pavements as part of a drive to improve the local environment.
They tackle roads, often in rural areas, which have been identified as hot spot areas and work to remove litter, as well as showing a visible presence in the area to discourage motorists from carrying it out in the first place.
The Roadside Litter team also work in tandem with another RRT who carry out daily patrols across Renfrewshire, tackling issues of fly tipping and working with local businesses to ensure they are disposing of their waste correctly.
Councillor Cathy McEwan, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board, said: “I can’t stress how important it is that motorists think before throwing their rubbish out their window and onto the roadside.
“It is affecting the cleanliness, appearance and health of our local environment, as well as forcing our road workers to work at the side of busy roads to clear it.
“It may only be one piece of litter to you but when everyone does it, it can become a real problem and it is not acceptable.
“So take the initiative, keep your rubbish with you until you get home and together we’ll make Renfrewshire a cleaner, more attractive place to live and work.”
£2.5million has been allocated to Renfrewshire’s Team Up to Clean Up campaign over five years to allow an enhanced programme of gully cleaning, increased mechanical road sweeping, the replacement or removal of out of date street signage and an additional six community litter pickers.
The campaign also challenges the community to play their part and this has proved extremely successful with hundreds of community clean ups taking place throughout the area and more than 2500 volunteers taking part.
A number of high-profile businesses, including ThermoFisher, McDonalds and Diageo, have also shown their support for the campaign by undertaking litter picks of the local area with their staff.
For more information on the Team Up to Clean Up campaign and how to get involved, visit: www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/teamuptocleanup.