Give Your Litter a Lift – Take it Home!

poster for campaign

Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful has launched an ongoing campaign ‘Give your litter a lift, take it home’ to raise awareness of the impact of roadside litter, and help change the behaviour of those who throw litter from vehicles across Scotland.

The Highland Council is backing this campaign, to help remind people that littering from vehicles is illegal, and can be subject to an £80 Fixed Penalty Notice. It is also unsightly, dangerous to us and to our wildlife, and very expensive. Around 250 million pieces of litter are dropped in Scotland every year, at a cost of £78 million which includes £53 million spent on clean up, education and enforcements. The most common items of litter found are food and drinks packaging, but also apple cores, banana skins, and cigarette butts, which many people do not realise are classed as litter.

Councillor Allan Henderson, Chair of the Community Services Committee said: “More than half of Scottish adults have seen someone throw litter from a vehicle, so the public are aware that this is an issue that needs to be addressed. Keep Scotland Beautiful have launched this innovative campaign to help of tackle this disgusting habit, as a cleaner, greener Scotland is good for us all; socially, environmentally, physically and financially.” 

He added, “Highland receives many visitors from around the world every year, and this creates a negative impression of our region among them, as well as among our local communities.”

Derek Robertson, Chief Executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “As a direct response to our country’s roadside litter problem, we have launched this campaign with a unique coalition which we have brought together including industry, the public sector and charities.”

The campaign is making one big ask of road users – to ‘Give litter a lift, take it home’.

You can find out more about the campaign, who is involved and what you can do to get involved at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org

 

1 Dec 2016