NEW data from Wales’ leading environmental charity shows that litter is present on nearly every main road in Wales.

Surveys carried out by Keep Wales Tidy found litter on 98.8 per cent of A and B roads, with smoking litter – mainly cigarette butts – present on 88.1 per cent of main roads.

The data also highlights the environmental impact of ‘on-the-go’ food and drink, with sweet wrappers, drinks containers and fast-food packaging among the most common types of litter along our roadsides.

Surveys carried out between April and December 2025 reveal: Confectionary packaging was present on 80.7 per cent of main roads; drinks litter on 72.1 per cent of main roads; fast-food litter on 67 per cent of main roads.

A new social media campaign, funded by Welsh Government, aims to raise awareness of the far-reaching impacts of roadside litter and convince motorists to ‘drive your litter home’.

Roadside litter threatens wildlife, pollutes waterways, and is both dangerous and expensive to clean up.

Keep Wales Tidy Chief Executive Owen Derbyshire said: “Loving Wales is basically in my job description, but even I feel embarrassed by the state of our roadsides. There is simply no excuse for throwing litter from a vehicle. It is lazy, unnecessary, and completely avoidable.

“Roadside litter is not a new problem, but this latest data shows just how widespread it has become. Every motorist needs to take responsibility. Litter in your vehicle belongs to you. Drive it home and dispose of it properly.”

It comes as the Welsh Government is adopting a tougher stance to tackle illegal dumping, including funding for new surveillance cameras and a review into fixed penalties for fly-tipping.

There were 42,171 fly-tipping incidents reported in Wales between April 2023 and March 2024, with 71% involving household waste.

Now, thanks to Welsh Government funding, Fly-tipping Action Wales is providing local authorities with 150 new trail cameras to target hotspots and help clean up communities.

Grants have been also awarded to councils including Pembrokeshire, for enforcement and camera-based projects, with lessons to be shared with others.

Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change, Huw Irranca-Davies, said:

"There is never any excuse for fly tipping. It blights our streets, countryside and communities, and people the length and breadth of the country are rightly angry about it.

“We are determined to clean up our communities, and these new cameras will help us do just that.

"Our continued funding makes sure local authorities have access to enforcement expertise, surveillance equipment and legal support they need to catch and punish those who break the law.”

The Welsh Government is also reviewing fixed penalty notice limits for fly-tipping and household waste duty of care offences to ensure they act as an effective deterrent.

Always check that anyone you pay to remove waste has a waste carrier licence by visiting the Natural Resources Wales website to confirm they are registered.

To find out more about Keep Wales Tidy’s roadside litter campaign, visit: www.keepwalestidy.cymru