Drive-thru restaurants closed down in the UK during the rise of the pandemic. However, when they reopened in June, litter increased across the countryside. This incited a debate on how to combat this issue. Back in November 2018, a farmer had proposed the idea to print number plates on the food packaging. This will help authorities track those who don’t throw out their garbage properly. This plan is finally gaining traction in the UK.
A new way to prevent litter
Peredur Owen-Griffiths, the Plaid Cymru candidate for Blaenau Gwent in the 2021 Senedd elections, proposed a petition that read as follows:
“Fast Food outlets reopened in Wales on Monday 2 June. Since then we have seen an increase in the litter dumped in our communities after visits to the drive-through. People should use the bins provided or take their litter home. Throwing it out of the car is not acceptable.”
“We are calling on Welsh Government to make it compulsory for fast food outlets with drive-through facilities to print car number plates on all packaging so that litter can be traced.” [1]
Some details need smoothing before this scheme takes effects. So far, there has been much support from the public. After all, there must be a better solution to littering than having people clear trash from public areas every day.
Printing number plates on food packages
“The idea came after talking to a number of constituents in the Ebbw Vale and Brynmawr area, who say they are completely fed up with the amounts rubbish being left here,” said Griffiths.
“Our thinking is if you can print the registration number on tickets for car parks, then there’s no reason something similar couldn’t happen when you go to a drive-thru. We really do think that with the number printed across the packaging the accountability would be much greater, hopefully having an impact in reducing the amount of rubbish left on the side of the road.”
“The potential legalities and enforcement of this scheme are still being talked through and figured out, but the technology seems to be there, and we’re eager to make use of it to discourage littering.”
Griffiths comments that Wales is full of natural beauty but litter mars it. To control the situation, laws must penalize those who drop their trash out of their proper bins.
“Blaenau Gwent is a lovely area with a wide variety of things to see and do, so we want to maintain that natural beauty without the eyesore of litter being thrown everywhere. It’s a pity we have to do something like this, as it would be so much easier for people to take their rubbish home and put it in the bin, but as usual, a minority are ruining it for everyone, so we want to take action before it gets out of hand.”
The petition now has about 3,400 signatures.
Support for holding litterers accountable
Kate Oakes, 48, lives in Brynmawr and she is in support of this scheme. She is the head of a local litter-cleaning group. “I think this is a great idea and I’m all for reducing the vast amounts of litter that comes out of local fast food restaurants.
“We had almost three months of having them closed up until the beginning of June, and managed to get a lot of mess cleared, but as soon as they opened again it seemed like all that hard work was undone in just a matter of days.
“It’s heartbreaking when you come to an area to clear up, only to see it back in the same state a few days later, so this may be the best option for tracing the perpetrators and stopping this kind of littering at the source. A lot of people all across Wales work incredibly hard to keep our homes litter-free, so we are very excited to see these sorts of plans being discussed, and hopefully coming in to play in the future.”
One person commented about the situation: “’McDonalds, you can tell that your drive-thrus have reopened. Your litter has reappeared on the country roads and lanes around my home.”
McDonald’s defended themselves against the blame for the littering. “We produce packaging, not litter, and 80% of this is currently recyclable, with clear instructions displayed on the outside as to how to responsibly dispose of and recycle it,” said a spokesman.
He added that the restaurants provide garbage cans in their facilities and parking lots. They also clean up litter multiple times daily. Additionally, they “actively partner with governing bodies and leading experts on litter prevention campaigns.” [2]
Will the government really enforce the printing of number plates on food packaging?
Swansea AM Mike Hedges is open to the idea of legislating restaurants to print number plates on drive-thru orders.
“I think that this is a very good idea, and have asked for a government statement on whether this is technologically possible,” he said. “If it is, I think that it will be a big weapon to combat littering from fast-food restaurants, as drivers will not just be able to toss burgers and drink cartons out of the window – they would know that their actions would be able to be traced.
“If people throw litter, they should have to pay a price for their actions. It is simple laziness on the part of individuals who drop it and we must never give up the battle”
When the idea first began
The plan to use number plates to track down litterers actually began before the pandemic, in late 2019. Farmer Tom Martin pleaded for this scheme on Facebook since passing vehicle drivers constantly tossed litter over his farm
“On our farm we are picking up litter like that every day, it isn’t even a main road.” Martin’s farm is in Cambridgeshire. “It’s very dangerous, cattle in particular will eat anything.”
“The technology to put the car registration number on litter as you queue up to get your drive through takeaway is there. It could be printed in UV as well which would stop people seeing where it is printed and destroying it. It would make people think twice before littering if it had their details on it.” [3]
What do you think? At this point, it’s uncertain whether this law will pass in the UK. If it does, do you think it will come to the US?
References
- “The simple idea to catch and fine people who dump drive-thru rubbish on the side of the road.” Wales Online. Lewis Smith. June 10, 2020.
- “Calls for registration numbers to be stamped on fast food packaging after litter rise.” Daily Post. Steve Bagnell. June 5, 2020.
- “Farmer wants McDonald’s to print car number plates on takeaway packaging.” Cornwall Live. Max Channon. November 22, 2019.
