Local communities urged to get involved in cleaning up Scotland

Does litter bug you? Do you want to do something about it? This spring, environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful is calling for Scotland’s communities to join a Spring Clean challenge from March 21-April 21 to help clean up our country.

Spending more time outdoors was an unexpected benefit of lockdown. But along with our renewed appreciation of nature, many realised Scotland was facing a huge litter problem.

Keep Scotland Beautiful research revealed that 88 per cent of Scots agree that litter is a problem across the country. And 70 per cent are concerned about litter in their area.

If you feel frustrated about the litter in your community or the places you visit, you can do something about it. Spring Clean Scotland is the perfect opportunity to make a difference by picking up litter on your local beach, streets, parks and beyond. Get involved and help make the places we care about cleaner and safer for people and animals.

Every action, however small, makes a difference. Just half an hour of picking up litter and disposing of it safely can help an area look cleaner and feel safer, and evidence shows it also prevents more litter being dropped. Why not organise a litter pick with friends, family, workmates or your wider community? Or find one to join in with on Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Clean Up Scotland map.

Many young people feel strongly about caring for the environment and want to do something about the harmful effects of litter in their communities. Schools can get involved too – as part of Spring Clean, there is a live lesson open to all schools across the UK.

Barry Fisher, CEO of Keep Scotland Beautiful said: "Across Scotland we have seen a steady increase in the amount of litter over the past decade. While this is a real challenge, we are heartened by the incredible work of litter picking heroes up and down the country.

"Our communities already play a vital role in taking action to tackle litter, with many people giving up their time to clean up their local areas despite the challenges of the last two years. We would love as many people as possible to join in and give Scotland a spring clean this March and April.

"For those that wish to take further action, The Scottish Government is currently consulting on a revised National Litter and Flytipping Strategy and you can still respond until the end of March and have #YourSayOnLitter."

Inspired to take positive action? Learn more and sign up to join in here: www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/springclean

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