A CCTV camera using AI technology is now being trialled in a bid to combat litter thrown carelessly on grass verges in the East Riding.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council has launched a pilot scheme with the firm LitterCam to install a high-tech camera on a road in Willerby to record drivers who dump their rubbish on the roadside.
The annual cost to the council of clearing litter from streets in the East Riding, including its verges, is £4.36m.
The aim of the trial is to try to prevent motorists from discarding their rubbish irresponsibly – waste such as fast-food packaging, drinks cups, cans, bottles and cigarette butts – and encourage them to take their rubbish home instead.
The pilot scheme launched on Monday 23 June and will run for 12 weeks.
A camera has been placed near to the Willerby roundabout on the A164 road as it is a high traffic location with several fast-food outlets nearby.
The camera system, which was the first of its kind in the UK, uses AI software to automatically detect numberplates and record any rubbish that gets dumped from those vehicles.
That information will be relayed to the council’s streetscene enforcement officers who will analyse the footage to see if any offences have been committed.
It is the intention to issue warning letters to those offenders during this trial, rather than fixed penalties. The main aim of the scheme is to gather information.
If the trial proves successful, the council would look at a longer-term partnership with the firm with the possibility of installing more cameras in other litter hotspots in the East Riding.
LitterCam is a Wakefield-based company and has previously been involved in trials by other authorities, including in London, Manchester, Scotland, the Netherlands and in Saudi Arabia, and most recently in Loughborough where 28 fines of £150 were issued and verge litter was reduced by 40% as a result of the camera system.
Councillor Lyn Healing, the council’s cabinet member for communities and public protection, said: “We are committed to tackling litter in the East Riding and embracing the use of modern technology is a key element of our strategy.
“Littering is against the law and keeping our streets clean – including our roadsides – costs the council around £4m per year.
“This trial partnership with LitterCam will allow us to better understand how AI can be used in the fight against litter.”
Andrew Kemp, co-founder and CEO of LitterCam, said: “We are delighted to be working with East Riding of Yorkshire Council, supporting them in tackling the blight of litter and through the trialling of innovate AI technology.”
