Regular mechanical sweeping not only removes unwanted grit, mud, litter, cigarette butts, leaves and debris, it can help prevent the establishment and growth of moss, algae and weeds. Mechanical sweeping can also help prevent physical damage to the road surface.
Road sweepers are widely used for keeping public roads, site roads, runways and other accesses clean and for suppressing dust. They use water as a means of capturing dirt and dust and are intended to clean up surfaces used by vehicles.
Because road sweepers are often brought in under contract to construction projects, it can be unclear who is responsible for the environmental issues associated with them. It is better to assume that you are responsible and to check that the points below have been dealt with, than to realise only when pollution occurs that you were responsible.
Sweeper arisings can be difficult to dispose of as each load can be different depending on where the sweeper has been operating.
The contents can include varying amounts of:
- water
- dirt (suspended solids)
- leaves
- stones
- litter
- hydrocarbons (petrol, oil and diesel)
- road salt
- de-icing chemicals.
Do not empty the sweeper into or near drains, surface water or groundwater as this may cause pollution.
Do not empty sweeper arisings directly onto bare ground.
Do not use road sweepers to clean up spills of oil, diesel, petrol or chemicals.
Only wash out the arisings compartment of the road sweeper in locations with controlled drainage, for example, when connected to the public sewer or a containment unit.
If you have an appropriate licence or permit, you may be able to empty sweeper arisings onto an impermeable surface that has controlled drainage.
In order to deposit waste material on land, you will require either:
- a waste management licence (Northern Ireland and Scotland)
- an environmental permit (England and Wales) or
