Tag: litter

Tackling the environmental impact of disposable vapes

Zero Waste Scotland delivers Government-commissioned review

Up to 26 million disposable vapes were consumed and thrown away in Scotland in the last year, of which an estimated 10 per cent were littered and more than half were incorrectly disposed of, according to a new report.

The Scottish Government commissioned Zero Waste Scotland to carry out a review of the environmental impact of single use vapes and potential policy options for addressing the problems that they cause.

The review estimates that in the year ending January 2023, there were 543,000 vapers in Scotland – of which 51,000 (9%) were under 16 and 78,000 (14%) were under 18. Most under 18 e-cigarette users prefer single use vapes.

Environmental impacts highlighted by the review include the waste impact of littering; risks associated with unsafe disposal of their contents; and greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption generated in their manufacture.

Total emissions associated with disposable vapes in 2022 are estimated to have been up to 4,292 tonnes CO2e – the equivalent of around 2,100 cars on Scotland’s roads. The lithium batteries used in the most popular disposable vapes could be recharged up to 500 times if the product design allowed.

Lorna Slater, Minister for Circular Economy, Green Skills and Biodiversity said: “This report shows that single use vapes have become a big problem – for our environment, local communities and young people.

“I will take action and will engage with those affected, including young people, over the coming months, with a view to setting out a way forward in the Autumn.

“Single use vapes are an issue across the UK, so I have invited Ministers from the other UK governments to meet to discuss the findings of the report and what we can do in response.

“Those who sell single use vapes are already required to take them back for safe disposal, or contribute to the cost of recycling, but this is clearly not happening as it should. I will therefore write to the UK Minister responsible to share our findings and to ask what they will do to ensure these obligations are met.”

The report shortlists nine potential measures to address environmental impacts of single use e-cigarettes, including a ban on sales, regulations to set certain design criteria, and charges to encourage behaviour change or producer fees to offset the environmental costs, such as a levy based on recycling rates. The report assesses the potential of each option for reducing environmental impact and the benefits of multiple measures in combination.

Iain Gulland, Chief Executive, Zero Waste Scotland said: “Any form of littering is unacceptable – it damages the environment, economy, and is a blight on the areas where we live, work, and socialise.

“Single use vapes are made up of components which, unless disposed of safely and responsibly, can last on our planet for years and years. And the sight of them, discarded on our streets, is becoming far too common.

“This is why Zero Waste Scotland was happy to lead on this important report. Tackling our throwaway culture is a priority for us and we will continue to work with the Scottish Government in highlighting the huge impact that littering these items has on the environment.”

Zero Waste Scotland report

Thousands won by winners tackling the litter emergency

More than £2,000 has been won by people across Scotland who are helping to tackle the litter emergency.

Keep Scotland Beautiful’s innovative partnership with behaviour change app LitterLotto recently passed the halfway mark and, to date, the charity has had 11 winners who have shared £2,400 with prizes ranging from £50 to £500.

Angela Breward from Fraserburgh was the first winner back in November, winning £250.

Since then we’ve had winners from all over Scotland including Glasgow, Dundee, the Highlands, Inverurie, Brechin and Inverclyde.

Lynn Seymour, James Sutherland, Bryan McMahon, Simon McGinley all also went on to win £250.

Lilly Cumming, Kirsty Murdoch and Allan Cherrie then won £50 each before the prize rocketed in the new year.

Katherine Thomas won £250 before Allan Bruce, the most recent winner, won £500.

Catherine Gee, KSB Deputy Chief Executive, said: “I’m delighted to see so many people from all over Scotland being rewarded for doing the right thing through our partnership with LitterLotto.

“This collaboration is all about encouraging people to help tackle the country’s looming litter emergency and it’s brilliant to see people across the country getting involved.

“I’m looking forward to seeing many more Scottish winners benefitting from helping to keep Scotland beautiful, and with our Spring Clean due to kick off in March it is the ideal time for people to get involved in making a difference.”

Dawn, Campaign Project Manager at LitterLotto, said: “It’s great to see our Scottish users benefiting from this regional jackpot. 

“We hope that our partnership with Keep Scotland Beautiful will encourage others to get involved.

“Our users help keep their communities clean and green and with LitterLotto you can win cash while doing good.”

This innovative venture is one of the many ways we are tackling the litter emergency with a national poll conducted by the environmental charity earlier this year highlighting two thirds of people believe that litter is an issue in their local area, and 87% believe that it is an issue across Scotland.

With the partnership continuing until the end of March there is still plenty of time for more people to get involved and be in with a chance of winning.

The LitterLotto app is available to download for free on the App Store and Android Store.

Visit the LitterLotto website for more information.

Community Litter Pick in Drylaw

TODAY: Sunday 10th July – meet Drylaw Skate Park 1pm

Come along and join us – we are meeting at 1pm at Drylaw skate 🛹 park!

Please wear bright/high vis clothes as we will be on the cycle path.

All equipment provided.

Keep Scotland Beautiful awards schools for fantastic climate action

Four schools and nurseries in Edinburgh recognised with Eco-Schools Green Flag Award status

Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful is delighted to award four schools and nurseries in Edinburgh with an Eco-Schools Green Flag.

The international award recognises nurseries and schools which have demonstrated a commitment to the Eco-Schools Scotland programme and over two years have engaged their whole school community in local climate action.

The schools and nurseries are: Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools, Leith Primary School and Nursery Class, Nether Currie Primary School and Smilechildcare.

All the schools took part in a variety of fantastic litter-busting and climate action activities including litter picks, litter surveys, recycling and community clean ups.

Through the Eco-Schools Scotland programme, Keep Scotland Beautiful aims to make action to tackle climate change and environmental awareness an intrinsic part of the life and ethos of schools, for both pupils and for staff. The programme provides a framework to engage the wider school community in climate action aligned with the purposes of Curriculum for Excellence and Learning for Sustainability.

To complete the Green Flag journey each school has a choice of ten topics to engage with, from climate action, to food and the environment, to litter, to energy. The schools also choose one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to link their Eco-Schools work to.

Catherine Gee, Deputy Chief Executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “I’d like to congratulate the Eco-Committee, pupils and staff at each of these schools, who have stepped up to play their part in combatting climate change and achieve their Green Flag Award. 

“It’s great to hear about the progress schools have made towards their Green Flags – up and down the country, pupils and staff are working hard growing, litter picking and learning. Thousands have also engaged with our live lessons recently and the next, on Water, is coming up on 6 and 10 June.

“Keep Scotland Beautiful is committed to supporting all our children, young people and educators through our Climate Action Schools activities to develop the capacities, skills and attributes required to protect our planet and work towards our goal of a Net Zero future.”

More information about the world’s largest sustainable schools programme and Eco-Schools Scotland can be found at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/eco-schools.

Sign up for the next live lesson and see the previous lessons here:

https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/education-and-learning/eco-schools/live-lessons/.

Spring Clean Scotland: Get involved!

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 21 March-21 April 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 of us realised Scotland is facing a huge litter problem. Our research revealed that 88% of Scots agree that litter is a problem across Scotland. And 70% 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.

We know young people feel strongly about caring for the environment and want to do something about the harmful effects of litter in their communities. Your school 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.

Shine a light on litter this winter

Dog owners urged to support litter picking and put a ‘paws on plastic’

Recent research from environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful shows that 88% of Scots agree that litter is a problem across Scotland.   Litter causes so much harm to our people, animals and our beautiful, natural environment. 

Winter is a time of darkness but one in which we traditionally celebrate with various winter light festivals.  So, we have joined forces with new charity Paws on Plastic to urge dog owners across the country to keep the issue of litter in the spotlight; tackling it head on to improve the health, cleanliness and safety of all of Scotland’s people, animals and environment.

We are asking dog owners to ‘shine a light on litter’ by highlighting the problems litter causes, encouraging others not to drop it, and picking up a few pieces on each daily dog walk.  We’d also like people to share their images on social media as they shine a light on litter.

Heather McLaughlin, Campaign Officer with Keep Scotland Beautiful said: “Our evidence shows that the number of recorded dog fouling incidents increases in the darker colder months, and we suspect littering levels creep up too as people feel, under the cover of darkness that they can get away with illegal behaviours.  

“However, we along with the thousands of Paws on Plastic members who regularly pick up a piece of litter when out with their dog, are watching, and shining a light on the issue.  Please help us this winter to raise awareness of litter, and the good work that you do to pick it up.  We want to make litter picking the social norm, not dropping it.”

It is important to stay safe, visible and take care when picking up litter and we have guidance on how to do this as part of our Clean Up Scotland campaign.

Marion Montgomery, founder of the online community Paws on Plastic, which now has over 21,000 members across 70 countries, said: “Paws on Plastic encourages all dog owners to join the campaign to help protect animals and our precious environment.  

“It only takes a minute to pick up a couple of pieces of litter when we’re out walking anyway but, with 1 million dogs in Scotland, 12 million in the UK, if we all take a minute, it adds up to a huge impact!

“It even has the double effect of reducing the amount of litter dropped as studies show that fewer people actually drop litter in clean areas. Pledge your support on our new website www.pawsonplastic.org.uk .”

Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said: “We are delighted to support this wonderful initiative and to stand alongside Keep Scotland Beautiful and Paws on Plastic to highlight the dangers litter can pose and reduce the amount of litter in our communities.

“Unfortunately, we see first-hand the damaging effect litter can have on animals.  We are called out to jobs after animals and birds have become trapped in fishing line or wire. Discarded rubbish can also pose a threat to animals after they ingest it and it becomes a choking hazard or affects their ability to eat.

“People should always dispose of their rubbish responsibly. No matter how small, it has the potential to be hazardous or lethal to pets, wildlife and farm animals.  Shine a light on litter’ will help people respect the environment and protect animals from the risks of discarded rubbish.”

With Keep Scotland Beautiful’s annual Spring Clean Scotland set to make a comeback in March next year, supporting people across the country to carry out litter picks, and the Scottish Government currently consulting on a new National Litter and Flytipping Strategy for Scotland which will allow the public to have #YourSayOnLitter until 31 March 2022, this winter campaign will ensure litter doesn’t get lost in the dark!

Reusable face coverings will help stamp out litter caused by the coronavirus pandemic

The Face It: Reuse Beats Single-Use campaign returns as evidence from Keep Scotland Beautiful discovered two face masks are found littered per one kilometre across Scotland, and new data from the Marine Conservation Society’s Great British Beach Clean found Covid-related litter on a third (33 percent) of surveyed Scottish beaches. 

Now, with the festive season fast approaching – when more people are expected to be out-and-about seeing friends and loved ones, eating out, or going to events where face coverings will be required – the environmental bodies have joined forces again to urge people to ‘choose to reuse’, wherever possible, to mitigate waste and protect our beautiful landscapes. 

Wearing a face covering or mask helps to reduce the spread of Covid-19 and reusable face coverings are the most environmentally friendly option. They help us protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our planet, by reducing the amount of single-use plastic waste being created.

But, currently, over a third (37 percent) of Scots use a disposable face covering which cannot be recycled – these should always be placed in the general waste bin after use.

Iain Gulland, Chief Executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said:  “The Covid-19 pandemic has meant that we are now getting used to living a slightly different way of life. One of these changes is the continued use of protective gear, specifically face coverings.

“It’s easy to carry a reusable face covering and using them regularly will save you money in the long run. One small act can help protect Scotland’s pristine landscapes. 

“The littering of single-use face coverings represents our throwaway society fuelled by our current mode of consumption. By shopping smarter, reusing more, and wasting less, we can help protect the environment. Be safe and sustainable when you’re out and about this Christmas by investing in a good quality, reusable face covering and making them part of your daily routine. That way you’ll be protecting yourself, your community, and the planet.”

Catherine Gemmell, Scotland Conservation Officer at the Marine Conservation Society, said: “Almost all the litter our volunteers find on beach cleans demonstrates the damaging throwaway culture we’re currently living in.  

“The increase in COVID-related litter on Scottish beaches is of real concern for the environment, and wildlife. We can all play our part in stopping this sort of litter reaching the beach in the first place. If you can choose to use reusables, please do so, and if you use single-use please dispose of it responsibly.

“Next year, we’d like to see this type of litter declining instead of rising. Our ocean was struggling as it was, we can’t afford to make the situation worse.”

Barry Fisher, CEO of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said:  “Our surveys across Scotland have recorded more than two facemasks per one kilometre which is completely unacceptable. This Covid litter highlights our complete disregard for each other and our communities.

“ It is vital that people bin their litter and wear a reusable face mask when possible. By choosing to reuse, you are reducing your consumption, decreasing the chance of contributing to our looming litter emergency and you are helping to tackle climate change – it is a triple win for our environment.” 

Reusable face coverings should be washed on the highest setting suitable for the fabric, preferably 60 degrees centigrade, after every use.   

Shop-bought and homemade reusable face coverings, as well as other items (such as snoods), can all be effectively used to slow the spread of the virus. These should be at least two (preferably three) layers thick and tight to the face. 

Reducing the demand for single-use face coverings is one way to tackle the problem of consumption, after it was found that around four-fifths (80 percent) of Scotland’s footprint comes from the products and materials we manufacture, use and throw away. 

Zero Waste Scotland is encouraging Scots to reduce their consumption where possible. In a circular economy, existing materials are kept in use for as long as possible, and nothing is wasted. 

Litter emergency looms closer as 9 in 10 people agree it is a problem

Litter levels highlight scale of our selfish behaviour

At a national seminar on Scotland’s local environmental quality environmental charity, Keep Scotland Beautiful revealed data from its national surveys which further warn of a looming litter emergency.

  • 88% of people agree litter is a problem across Scotland.
  • More than two PPE litter items per 1km surveyed.
  • Five out of six sites surveyed are littered.
  • 1 in 10 sites had unacceptable litter levels.
  • Smoking related litter is the most commonly observed – present at 64% of sites.
  • More than half surveyed sites were littered with food and drink items.

Cigarettes, food-on-the-go litter and drinks related litter top the tables once again, but the pandemic has highlighted a new litter type – masks which have never featured in previous years. 

The scale of the challenge Scotland faces as we collectively act to tackle the behaviours that are leading to a looming litter emergency is not to be underestimated. 

Despite last year being an exceptional one, where data cannot really be compared with our historic trends, and when cleansing services were under extreme pressure, the stats taken from almost 11,000 surveyed sites speak for themselves. 

It is clear that litter levels and the littering behaviours highlighted in our report – Time for a new approach to tackling litter last year, need urgent attention.

Mairi McAllan, Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform gave the key note address at Scotland’s Local Environmental Quality Seminar, at which the data was shared with key stakeholders and partners. 

The event has kickstarted a programme of online events focusing on the key strands of the proposed new National Litter and Flytipping Strategy which will go out for consultation this winter.

Barry Fisher, CEO of Keep Scotland Beautiful said, “There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges for those who work hard to keep our country litter free. 

“And, it is clear, that for many, the impact that litter, dog fouling and graffiti, has on their communities and neighbourhoods is unacceptable, particularly in our most deprived communities.

“Our latest survey results again highlight that where there are people in large numbers, there are unacceptable levels of litter.  While no one organisation can solve this issue, individually we can all take responsibility and bin our litter or take it home and treat our country with respect.

“Alongside The Scottish Government and Zero Waste Scotland we are committed to continuing efforts to support communities, local authorities, businesses, and national agencies to reverse the decline in environmental quality across Scotland.

“We must now build on the collaborative work we have started over the past 18months, to eradicate the selfish behaviours that impact our neighbourhoods and the places we visit.

“We’re calling for everyone in Scotland to join us on our collective mission to make all of Scotland beautiful again”

Despite the continuing increase in litter levels there is a clear, collective ambition to tackle litter and we are working with others to ensure that the positive action, carried out by volunteers who pledged 1.5million minutes to litter pick during our Summer Clean this June, and positive momentum of the national ‘Scotland is Stunning’ litter campaign really makes a difference.  

Everyone needs to step up to the challenge.  Litter should be one of the easiest environmental problems to solve – everyone is able to bin their litter or take it home.

Silent disco dancers help clean up Portobello Beach

A band of 18 enthusiastic dancing volunteers joined environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful at Portobello Beach on Sunday (12 September) to rid the beach of litter and kick off the charity’s ‘Source to Sea’ week. The litter-picking crew donned their headphones, tuned-in and removed rubbish from the seaside.

They removed lots of small plastics, including cigarette butts, as well as broken glass and bits of clothing left in the sand – a common issue on popular beaches. As well as removing litter from the beach, the purpose of the litter picking party was to raise awareness of how litter left on land can make its way into the sea to pollute our oceans.

The event was organised as part of the charity’s My Beach Your Beach and Treasure your River campaigns, in partnership with Keep Porty Tidy, who go out daily to blitz litter from the beach and prom. 

Treasure Your River, created by environmental charity HUBBUB and delivered by Keep Scotland Beautiful, has been targeting litter from source to sea along the River Forth this summer.

The event was also supported by Oscar’s Gelato on the Porty prom, with complimentary gelato and other refreshments offered to volunteers.

Now in its fourth year, the My Beach Your Beach campaign aims to support bathing water quality at a selection of beaches, including Portobello, Fisherrow Sands and Kinghorn Harbour beach on the east coast.

The campaign does this by promoting beach stewardship among locals and visitors and encouraging good habits that can affect bathing water quality, both at the beach and indoors.

This summer’s pre-season litter survey, carried out by Keep Porty Tidy for the My Beach Your Beach campaign, found over 110 items of litter along a sample 100m stretch of beach and prom. 

The majority of this litter was drinks and food related rubbish, highlighting the need for people to bin their ‘on the go’ food packaging or take it home.

Greta Elliott, from Keep Porty Tidy, said: “The silent disco litter pick was a lot of fun and a great way to get people involved in keeping our beautiful beach clean and litter free. 

“Hopefully it will help encourage others to do the right thing and make sure their rubbish ends up in the bin rather than polluting the beach.”

Georgina Massouraki, Campaigns Officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Beach litter is a huge environmental issue, not only blighting our communities but also washing out to sea, where it breaks down into microplastics, harming wildlife and marine ecosystems. This silent disco litter pick was a fun way to draw attention to this issue and hopefully reach a wider range of people.

“Our My Beach Your Beach campaign is designed to help improve the quality of bathing waters by asking people to bin their litter, bag and bin their dog poo and not to feed the gulls.

“We have been delighted to work with Keep Porty Tidy on the campaign in Portobello and hope that beach users will take notice and be more thoughtful about the impact they can have on the sand and sea.”

Cllr Lesley Macinnes, Environment Convener at The City of Edinburgh Council, said: “We’re proud of Edinburgh’s beautiful beaches and so we’re very grateful to the litter pickers who worked so hard at the weekend to help us to keep Porty beach clean. I love that they had fun in the process of keeping fit and entertaining visitors as they danced along the beach.

“Our cleansing teams provided them with the equipment they needed to safely remove discarded litter and we’ve made sure the waste collected has been taken away. Our teams have been extremely busy throughout the pandemic working to keep Porty and the rest of Edinburgh clean and tidy and it’s great to see the Porty community taking pride in their area and helping them out.  

“I’d ask everyone visiting any of our beaches to respect our local communities and environment by using the bins provided or by taking your litter home with you.”

Read more about My Beach Your Beach: 

https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/community-and-place/my-beach-your-beach/

Read more about Treasure Your River: 

https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/treasure-your-river/