2023-07-18 09:01:32
Asfinag recorded more than 7,900 tons of rubbish on the motorways last year. This was announced in a broadcast on Tuesday. This means that the amount of waste is consistently high compared to 2021, it said. The motorway company is worried regarding carelessly thrown away rubbish. “Bottles and cans in particular become projectiles when the wind carries them from the rest area onto the roadway or when they are thrown out of the window,” says Asfinag.
“PET drinks bottles, cans, leftovers and snack packaging, which are often either simply thrown on the ground in rest areas and parking lots – sometimes right next to the garbage containers provided for this purpose – or even thrown out of a moving car, are not only unappetizing, they can also become a hazard,” Asfinag environmental expert Heimo Berghold was quoted as saying. Asfinag registered a slight decrease in the amount of waste by five percent in the federal states of Lower Austria, Styria and Upper Austria. In contrast, an increase of 13 percent was recorded in Tyrol. “This in turn allows the conclusion that holiday trips by car have picked up speed once more following the Corona-related slump in traffic,” the broadcast said. The absolute largest amount of waste was recorded in Lower Austria with 1,833 tons.
Illegal deposits of household waste or construction waste are also a problem. “Sometimes entire pieces of furniture, car tires or other such objects end up next to the routes because people want to save themselves the garbage disposal fee, or because it is simply more convenient. For us, this means an enormous collection effort that has to be carried out manually, and ultimately also a Plus in costs,” said Berghold. On Tuesday, Asfinag also referred to the additional costs caused by garbage on the motorways. A quarter of the total amount of waste has to be collected by hand. “This causes unnecessary, dangerous work assignments next to and on the track and, of course, additional costs.” Asfinag also emphasized on Tuesday that all rest areas are equipped with drinking water fountains where you can fill up your own drinking bottle. This should ensure that fewer bottles are thrown away.
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