The annual cost to the state of cleaning up roadside rubbish is some 996,000 euros, says Marco Schank, deputy minister for sustainable development and infrastructure. And that is in addition to the normal road cleaning services carried out by local communes. The problem of littering--the government has adopted the English word--is growing and is causing exasperation among both national and local authorities.

The awareness campaign, labelled "Keen Dreck op d’Strooss" (no rubbish on the street) is aimed specifically at road users, urging them to be more respectful of their environment and to think before throwing rubbish out of their vehicle. Most of the rubbish consists of convenience food packaging and drinks containers, but also cigarettes. Up to 50% of littering occurs within five metres of a public rubbish bin.

The government’s message will be put across via posters along main roads, on buses and in public spaces as well as a 12m³ Plexiglas installation at the aire de Berchem filling station. Meanwhile, Schank cited pilot projects, such as the city of Luxembourg’s deposit system for drinks containers at major events in the Summer In The City programme, as helping alleviate the situation.