Talking bin tackles littering by thanking users

A talking bin has been unveiled in an initiative aimed at tackling roadside litter.

The new bin has been installed in a layby near Upottery on the A303 by National Highways and East Devon District Council and will be monitored as part of a trial.

The 570-litre (151 gallons) capacity bin operates by compacting the waste people drop into the machine and will even offer up a courtesy "thank you" message to any drivers using the bin.

The bin will also indicate when it has reached its capacity and will message East Devon's Streetscene teams when full, in a bid to save operatives time on their collection routes.

Andrew Gale, South West service manager for National Highways, said: "We work closely with our local authority partners and we're hoping that we'll see a further roll-out of these bins across our laybys in the coming years, and a significant reduction in the amount of litter on our roadsides."

He added clearing litter from the roadside cost millions of pounds a year. y to you!"

Barry Mason from East Devon District Council said the bins would allow the council to "optimise our collections" while helping to keep roads clean.

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