A serious side to England’s funny funnel bins

Giant funnel bins are being installed at a dozen UK motorway service areas in north-west England. The bins, either 1.8m or 2.2m high, are next to Give Way lines at the exit of service area car parks. The bins allow both car and truck drivers to reach the half-metre-wide funnels from their vehicle window. 8100 Highways England is hoping that the bins’ ease of use will encourage drivers to deposit their refuse before leaving the rest area and not throw it out of the car window along the motorway.

The road agency estimates that more than 40,000 sacks of rubbish were collected off motorways in the region last year.

It costs taxpayers an estimated €45 for each sack of litter collected from motorways – roughly the same cost as fixing a pothole, according to Highways England. Collecting rubbish close to fast-moving traffic can also put workers at risk.

Meanwhile, in Australia, 6508 Main Roads WA will expand its six-month trial initiative to remove 270 roadside bins from Kimberley area highways to reduce litter. About 200 bins were removed and replaced with skip-bin disposal points at 24-hour rest-stops, according to Australian media reports.

Main Roads has said the initiative is “generally” supported by road users.

“The amount of loose litter in parking bays is much less than when litter bins were present and there has been no noticeable increase in the amount of roadside litter,”
it said.