Organisations partner to clean up our motorways

More than 500 bags of litter were removed from Scotland’s roadsides during a coordinated Week of Action at the end of March. 

We organised the week to tackle roadside litter as part of our annual #SpringCleanScotland campaign and partnered with Transport Scotland, BEAR Scotland, West Lothian Council, East Lothian Council, Scottish Borders Council, Falkirk Council, Glasgow City Council and Amey. 

Litter removed included: 

• More than 170 bags of litter and 27 larger items were removed by BEAR Scotland on the A1, including joint efforts between Keep Scotland Beautiful and East Lothian Council. 

• West Lothian Council removed a further 440 bags from core routes across the area throughout the week. 

• Scottish Borders Council collected nine bags of litter, two traffic cones and some building supplies during a one-hour pick. 

• Falkirk Council collected 260kg of litter during litter picks across the A801, A803 and B825. 

• Three tonnes of litter was collected by Glasgow City Council along the M8 and  

• Amey collected more than 100 bags of litter and 18 tonnes during the week, targeting various parts of the M8 and A737. 

Barry Fisher, our Chief Executive, said: “We’re so grateful to everyone who supported our roadside litter Week of Action and played a part in tackling this issue, which is giving visitors such a bad impression of our country. 

“Having been able to join BEAR Scotland and East Lothian Council for a litter pick on the A1, we were able to see how dangerous and difficult it can be to clear litter from the side of a motorway or busy road. 

“We  need people to stop littering from their vehicles so that these dangerous and expensive litter clean ups are no longer needed. Our message is clear: give your litter a lift. Take it home or put it in a bin. 

“Our country is beautiful. It’s adored by people from all over the world. Let’s put roadside litter in the rear-view mirror.” 

Tommy Deans, BEAR Scotland’s South East Network Manager, said: “While we were pleased to join forces with local authorities and Keep Scotland Beautiful, it is disappointing and frustrating that litter continues to blight our beautiful countryside. The A1 is a key gateway to Scotland and roadside litter does not give a good impression. 

“Workers removing roadside litter face various risks, including fast moving traffic and hazardous waste items. 

“We urge all road users to take their litter home and bin it.” 

Garry Head, Operating Company Representative for Amey’s NMC SW unit, said: “These are not abstract statistics. Every bag represents a journey — by an operative who has put on high-visibility PPE, set up traffic management, to clear what someone else threw from a window. 

“That work almost always takes place at night. On the motorway network, litter-picking operations require full traffic management to protect operatives and cannot safely be carried out during peak traffic hours. Teams work in darkness, in all weathers, managing a hazard that could — and has — proven fatal on roads across the UK.” 

Our work on roadside litter is part of our commitment to supporting the delivery of the Scottish Government’s National Litter and Flytipping Strategy.

This Week of Action builds on learnings from previous interventions delivered across Scotland; in Forth Valley focusing on food and drink on-the-go, and on the A9 in 2025.

Read more about our work on roadside litter here.