After being cleaned by a street sweeper, roads and parking lots look good, are safe from debris. This will enable them, over time, to wear better and last longer. This saves money, as well as, potentially, lives. Most people don’t think about how street sweeping also relates to the environment. In fact, there are several ways regularly washed and swept roads can positively affect preservation of the environment.
Environmental Threats Near Roads
There are many ways debris makes its way onto our roads, streets and lots. Here are some common problems:
- Construction waste – Digging causes petroleum products, building materials, concrete rubble and broken blacktop to be loosed and tracked for miles around a job. These materials can become serious contaminants, not only to plants and animals, but to humans.
- Water runoff – Rainwater from fields, lots and roads can carry many dangerous chemicals, such as fertilizer, insecticide, black top or other petroleum products into water sources.
- Debris buildup – Silt, and trash can collect in crevices, underground caves or drains, stopping them up and increasing the chances of flooding. This is not only a costly community danger, but, again, risks sending chemical contaminants into the environment on a larger scale.
- Green waste – Green waste is the collection of leaves, branches and other green biomatter that collects after a storm. If not cleared from traffic pathways, it decomposes and collects in storm drains, changing water quality, breeding bacteria and mold while developing excess nitrogen and phosphorous. This can also lead to increasing algal bloom in waterways.
Environmental Benefits from Street Sweeping
Keeping roads clean and clear has important environmental benefits:
- Clear drains and healthy waterways – Preventing drain and waterway blockage reduces the chance of flooded roadways, while also preventing water run off of hazardous chemical waste into gutters and, eventually, streams, rivers, lakes and the oceans.
- Clean air – Surprisingly, air pollution is a side-effect of build-up on roads caused by dirt, metal and other trash, and automotive by-products. When metal particles and trash waste left by passing cars are not removed and end up in a waterway, harmful particles bond with other debris and cause unhealthy gas emissions into the air.
- Wildlife preservation – Trash from food on roadways often attracts wildlife, which puts them in danger of being hit by cars and trucks.
- Habitat preservation – Preventing damage to waterways and wildlife, collectively, prevents damage to ecosystems and specific habitats. This further protects against disruption of wildlife, wetlands and other natural habitats.