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Motorway littering cut in half in Flanders

16:21 13/05/2019

Littering and fly-tipping along Flanders’ motorways has reduced by half over the last six years, according to government waste agency Ovam. In 2012, 3,500 tons of trash was cleaned up along Flanders’ regional roads and motorways, while in 2018 the figure was 1,800 tons.

The most trash is found along motorway exits and entrances, as well as parking lots along motorways. “So many cigarette ends are tossed on the ground there, but also food packaging and bottles,” Jan Verheyen of Ovam told VRT.

Verheyen credits awareness campaigns for the notable difference in the amount of rubbish, especially those aimed at parking areas. Still, he says, 1,800 tons is a lot for a region the size of Flanders.

“The goal is to decrease that by another 20% by 2022,” he said. “So we need to keep up the campaigns but also enforcement of the law.”

Written by Flanders Today