A litter prevention program will receive a $400,000 funding boost after it successfully reduced roadside litter by around 70 per cent in some roadside locations.
Main Roads WA will contribute the funding towards extending Keep Australia Beautiful Council’s “Put your rubbish in the bin. WA naturally thanks you” campaign.
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The program installs anti-litter roadside signage, bin stickers, and provides 300,000 free car litter bags which are available from roadhouses along selected routes.
The program has been rolled out on the Forrest Highway, Great Eastern Highway and Brand Highway.
Funding from Main Roads WA will enable further enable the rollout of anti-litter signage on WA’s freeways and highways.
Sustainable car litter bags and posters will also be distributed to roadhouses to encourage road users to dispose of their rubbish correctly.
WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said Main Roads WA spends around $6 million each year to remove litter from roadsides, with proactive measures far more cost effective at tackling the issue.
“The National Litter Index indicates that roadsides are one of the most littered areas in WA,” she said.
“I am pleased that, through this campaign, we have been able to decrease the amount of litter at some locations by up to 70 per cent.”
WA Environment Minister Stephen Dawson said the successes of the campaign has resulted in a reduction of funding needed for roadside clean ups.
“This is about making motorists think twice before they litter and to take some pride in WA’s precious natural environment,” he said.