Talk TV Interview - Litter Snitchers Embrace Dashcams

Talk TV host Nick de Bois interviews Andrew Kemp, Founder and CEO of LitterCam, discussing roadside littering and the role of technology and public involvement in combating it. Buckinghamshire Council is encouraging drivers to submit dash cam footage of littering incidents to aid enforcement, prompting mixed reactions about "snitching" on fellow motorists. The origin of the technology is discussed, along with addressing the inefficiencies in manual footage review and aims to make enforcement more cost-effective since the England Litter Strategy.

Kemp highlighted the significant financial and environmental toll of littering, costing UK taxpayers around £1 billion annually for street cleaning, with Buckinghamshire alone spending hundreds of thousands on dedicated crews. Rural high-speed roads pose challenges, requiring road closures and endangering workers. Beyond aesthetics, litter harms wildlife, attracting animals like hedgehogs to sweet-smelling waste and enters watercourses, contributing to ocean pollution through microplastics. Volunteer efforts often feel futile as cleared areas quickly become littered again, underscoring the need for behavioural change through education and deterrence.

The conversation touched on common litter items, including cigarette butts, drinks cans, plastic bottles, fast-food packaging, and even unsanitary waste from truck drivers under time pressure. Kemp noted LitterCam's role in supporting councils with extensive road networks, like Buckinghamshire's over 3,000 miles, where traditional methods fall short. While some view this as part of a surveillance state, the emphasis was on promoting law-abiding citizenship to reduce the widespread impacts of irresponsible disposal.