If the weeds on streets and pavements were not kept under control, then there would be risks to safety and human health. Before long we would have a build-up of debris and litter within our streets which would contribute to roads flooding, road accidents and of course the weeds would be encouraged to grow – not only bigger but more of them.
In the UK alone, we spend 1 billion pounds on street cleaning. This sounds a huge amount of money…. However, in 2014 there were 245.8 thousand miles of A roads in Great Britain. Looking locally; the city of Sheffield has 1,100 miles of adapted roads!
So, as you can see, the control of the weeds and debris within our streets is important to health and safety and to maintaining and protecting our environment. Unwanted vegetation on our streets create many problems. Invasive weeds that are stronger than our native weeds pose a threat not only to our drainage systems, but also because they are able to grow up through tarmac breaking up surfaces and again impacting on our safety.
Operators and contractors that control the weeds in our streets use an integrated approach; meaning that they use as many different techniques as possible to control the weeds. Herbicide use is a key and essential part of these practices. Only safe chemicals are used, applied by professionals adhering to laid down standards of work.
Watch the video below to see what happens to the Colins family when the weeds were not controlled in their local neighbourhood. Alternatively, read our edugraphic to follow the story.