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16
Oct 2024
Pateley Bridge man creates art from roadside rubbish in anti-litter campaign
An artist from Pateley Bridge has collaborated with National Highways to create a one-of-a-kind piece of art from roadside rubbish.
James Owen Thomas, 23, a neurodivergent artist, took on the project to show the dangers and disruption caused by litter dumped on roads.
He has been litter-picking since he was five and his latest artwork is made entirely of litter that he, and a team from National Highways, collected on the side of the A1 at Wentbridge.
The finished piece is set to be unveiled at highways industry event Highways UK at the Birmingham NEC today (October 16), during Recycle Week.
James Owen Thomas said:
As a young child when out on walks with my mum, I was always keen to pick up litter that I saw in parks. Perhaps it’s my autism that made me so concerned to make the areas tidy. I found being out in nature calming but the sight of litter upset me, and I wanted to see it in the bin.
I later learned that much of this wasted material could have been recycled and it eventually led to me creating art from discarded items, which also makes a statement about single-use products.
Working with National Highways to transform roadside rubbish into artwork felt like the perfect way to raise awareness about how littering affects the environment, especially wildlife.
The roadside litter collected by James Owen Thomas to incorporate in his art works.
A study by National Highways this year found littering can have a deadly impact on wildlife.
The results revealed that nearly half of participants were unaware that items like fruit peels and apple cores - which lure animals into often fatal situations – fall into the litter category.
Over the last three years, the RSPCA has received more than 10,000 reports of animals found injured, trapped or dead from discarded litter, almost 10 reports every day.
Clearing litter from major A-roads and motorways can lead to lane closures and significant delays for road users, with millions of pounds spent on cleaning up unsightly waste.
James Owen Thomas working on his latest piece.
Freda Rashdi, National Highways head of customer journeys, said:
Collaborating with James brings a fresh, creative perspective to this important issue. His artwork turns litter into something that conveys a powerful message.
Roadside litter is an expensive and time-consuming problem, and the solution really is simple. We need to see a change in road user behaviour – if you have litter to dispose of, please do so appropriately and bin it.
Mr Thomas added:
I hope this piece inspires people to think twice before throwing litter and to see the beauty we can protect by keeping our roads clean.
The finished artwork by James Owen Thomas in collaboration with National Highways
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