Fast food giants asked to help tackle roadside litter in North Lincolnshire
The leader of the council has written to major drive-through and takeaway businesses
Drive-through and takeaway businesses, across North Lincolnshire, are being asked to work with the council on new measures, to tackle litter dumped from vehicles.
Leader of North Lincolnshire Council, Councillor Rob Waltham, has written to major drive-through and takeaway businesses, asking them to help make it harder.
He’s proposed a scheme, which would see vehicle registration numbers recorded when orders are collected and linked to the packaging handed to customers.
The aim is simple: if packaging is later dumped at the roadside or in the countryside, there is the potential to trace it back to the vehicle it came from – creating a much stronger deterrent for people who currently assume they can throw rubbish from their car and get away with it.
Cllr Waltham said: “Most people would never dream of finishing a meal or a coffee and then throwing the packaging out of the car window, but it only takes a small number of idiots doing exactly that to create a real problem.
“Residents rightly get frustrated when takeaway cups, wrappers and boxes are left along roadsides, in verges and across the countryside – and ultimately somebody has to pay to clear it up.
“We have an army of litter pickers across the whole of North Lincolnshire, in every community and they do an amazing job but we should not have to have them.
“We want to work constructively, with the businesses selling these products and look at what more can be done to discourage that behaviour in the first place.”
The approach will initially involve businesses, with drive-through or takeaway operations, at locations across Scunthorpe, Barton-upon-Humber and the wider North Lincolnshire area.
It comes alongside continued work by the council, parish and town councils, community groups and volunteers, to tackle litter and improve the appearance of local places.
Cllr Waltham added: “Linking packaging to the vehicle it was bought from is one idea. The important thing is the deterrent – making people understand that throwing rubbish from a car is not anonymous and there could be consequences.
“Yes, the responsibility is on the individual who buys the food or drink, but we all have a responsibility in finding something that works and helps keep North Lincolnshire clean.”