Week of action to tackle road litter

A call to clean up and clamp down on litter on Scotland’s roads has been issued for Scotland’s first Litter Week of Action. 

Organised by Zero Waste Scotland on behalf of the Transport Litter Group, the annual day of action has been extended to a week of dedicated action to tackle litter on our roads and railways.

Commuters, employers, and transport providers and support agencies are all being encouraged to get involved from 19– 25 August.

A recent litter audit has revealed that an average of seven bottles and cans can be found on every 100 metres of Scotland’s roads, creating a hazard to road users and wildlife, and costs millions to remove.

Supporters of the Week can help to raise awareness of the negative impact and cost of transport litter.  Actions available range from something simple such as adding a web banner to your website or displaying a poster in your workplace; to organising activities such as a day of awareness raising activities or targeted enforcement.

 

Organisations including BEAR Scotland, Scotland TranServ, Transport Scotland, McDonald’s and various local authorities have already committed to taking part in the Week.

The week of action follows the launch of a new consultation from the Scottish Government which intends to bring forward a final National Litter Strategy – the first since devolution – early in 2014.  The “Towards a Litter Free Scotland” consultation will run until 27 September.

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said: “It is shocking that on average there are four plastic bottles and three drinks cans littered on every 100 metres of our major roads in Scotland. It’s a blight, contributes to punctures and can cause accidents not to mention the fact that clearing it from our road and rail sides is a hazardous task.

“Littering is unacceptable – and in the Year of Natural Scotland and as we approach 2014 when we welcome the world to Scotland, it’s important that we show our country at its best. We have set out action to tackle Scotland’s litter problem in our National Litter Strategy consultation and are asking people to have their say on this during the summer.

“This Litter Week of Action is a great opportunity to highlight this issue and I’d encourage people to work together by taking action during the week so that we can show that littering is not tolerated here.”

Iain Gulland, Director, Zero Waste Scotland said: “2014 is set to be an important year for Scotland, with events including the Ryder Cup, Commonwealth Games and Homecoming, and as such it’s vital that we take steps to rid the country of its litter problem and show it off at its absolute best.

“Litter on the road and in transport hubs doesn’t just look bad, it’s also a waste of valuable resources.  Commonly littered items like drinks bottles and cans could be recycled and help to boost the economy.

“I would urge everyone to get involved in this great week of planned activity and help to spread the message that throwing litter from vehicles or public transport is not acceptable.”

To get involved, visit

http://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/content/Transport-Litter-Week-of-Action.