A new campaign to tackle roadside litter has been rolled out across Western Australia, providing travellers with free compostable car litter bags.
The ‘WA Naturally Thanks You Campaign’ is a $400,000 program funded by Main Roads to help motorists dispose of litter correctly.
The re-useable ‘keep bags’ will be available at roadhouses along major highways. The campaign, coordinated by the Keep Australia Beautiful Council, also includes roadside signs, advertising at service stations, as well as social media.
A nine-month trial found the initiative reduced roadside litter by as much as 70 per cent at some locations, with roadsides among the most littered sites in the State.
The campaign complements other McGowan Government waste and litter initiatives including the Plan for Plastics, lightweight plastic bag ban and Containers for Change.
For more information on the ‘WA Naturally Thanks You’ campaign, visit www.kabc.wa.gov.au
As stated by Environment Minister Reece Whitby:
“The ‘WA Naturally Thanks You’ campaign is an important initiative to reduce roadside litter by encouraging drivers to dispose of rubbish properly and not throw it out the car window.
“Litter is not only unsightly, but harmful to wildlife through poisoning, choking and entrapment. It also draws animals out onto the road, creating a danger for both them and motorists.
“We hope this campaign makes travellers think twice before they litter and to take pride in WA’s unique natural environment.”
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
“More Western Australians are exploring their own backyard since the pandemic, so it’s more important than ever that motorists take responsibility and dispose of their litter correctly.
“This campaign will help raise the community’s awareness of the problem of roadside litter, and give motorists the means to prevent it.”
As stated by Keep Australia Beautiful Chairman Michael Aspinall:
“The Keep Australia Beautiful Council hopes the rollout of this campaign will proactively tackle the preventable issue of roadside litter.
“We have called the litter bags ‘keep bags’, deliberately using the first word in the Council’s name, to hopefully serve as a call to action to all Western Australians.
“Use a keep bag, keep hold of your litter until you can dispose of it correctly, and help us keep Western Australia beautiful.”
