Painting a picture to protect wildlife from roadside litter

Roadside rubbish transformed into art to drive home National Highways' anti-littering message

National Highways has teamed up with artist James Owen Thomas to create a one-of-a-kind piece of art from roadside rubbish to show the dangers and disruption caused by litter dumped on roads.

Owen Thomas’s artwork celebrates nature and wildlife and is made up of litter he and a team from National Highways collected on the side of the A1 in Wentbridge.

The finished piece was unveiled at Highways UK at the Birmingham NEC to mark Recycle Week.

Over the last three years, the RSPCA has received more than 10,000 reports of animals found injured, trapped or dead from discarded litter – that is nearly 10 reports every day. Clearing litter from major A-roads and motorways can lead to lane closures and significant delays for road users, with millions spent on cleaning up unsightly waste.

Owen Thomas, who is neurodiverse and has been litter picking since he was five, said: “As a young child when out on walks with my Mum, I was always keen to pick up litter that I saw in parks. Perhaps it’s my autism that made me so concerned to make the areas tidy. I found being out in nature calming but the sight of litter upset me, and I wanted to see it in the bin.

“I later learned that much of this wasted material could have been recycled and it eventually led to me creating art from discarded items, which also makes a statement about single-use products.

“Working with National Highways to transform roadside rubbish into artwork felt like the perfect way to raise awareness about how littering affects the environment, especially wildlife. I hope this piece inspires people to think twice before throwing litter and to see the beauty we can protect by keeping our roads clean.”

A study carried out by National Highways earlier this year, found littering can have a deadly impact on wildlife. The results revealed that nearly half of participants were unaware that items like fruit peels and apple cores – which lure animals into often fatal situations – fall into the litter category. The research also unveiled widespread confusion among road users on the connection between littering and wildlife safety, with drivers who admitted to littering, not viewing biodegradable food as litter.

National Highways head of customer journeys Freda Rashdi said: “Collaborating with James brings a fresh, creative perspective to this important issue. His artwork turns litter into something that conveys a powerful message.

“Roadside litter is an expensive and time-consuming problem, and the solution really is simple. We need to see a change in road user behaviour – if you have litter to dispose of, please do so appropriately and bin it.”

This activity, which is supported by the RSPCA and Keep Britain Tidy, forms part of a wider campaign from National Highways which was kicked off earlier this year with a simple plea: ‘Lend a paw – bin your litter’. The campaign aims to change consumer behaviour and put an end to littering.