“A great deal can be achieved when we look beyond clean up and work to prevent the problem occurring in the first place” – Ian Gulland, Zero Waste Scotland
Organisations in Edinburgh and the Lothians are being urged to take advantage of new grant funding to target litter prevention in their area.
Applications are now open to public, private and third sector groups to help tackle littering through grants of £500 to £10,000, being made available by Zero Waste Scotland.
Research conducted by Zero Waste Scotland earlier this year suggests a number of factors contribute to littering behaviour in local areas. These include location, time of day, social situation and perception of different types of litter.
Building on the findings of this research, Zero Waste Scotland has produced a range of innovative design materials which aim to tackle litter problem areas. The designs can be used to make a number of communication tools to deliver suitable messages to prevent littering in different locations.
he grants will be used to cover the costs of producing these materials aimed at litter prevention in busy public areas such as beaches, town centres, residential areas, parks, schools and sporting facilities.
Iain Gulland, Chief Executive, Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Scotland’s national litter strategy, Towards a Litter-free Scotland, focuses on preventing litter being dropped in the first place, to reduce the need for clean up or enforcement. We want to use this grant funding to support organisations to deliver real impact in their areas, and build on our recent litter insights work in order to target littering behaviour before it starts.
“A great deal can be achieved when we look beyond clean up and work to prevent the problem occurring in the first place.
“For that reason, we strongly encourage organisations to look at any problem areas in their community that could benefit from this funding. By tackling the problem at its origin, we can help to make Scotland’s communities safer and more pleasant places to live.”
Funding is open to all sectors including local authorities, community councils and local businesses.
Applications should be made online at www.zerowastescotland.org.uk
A brochure is also available which showcases a range of materials and messages developed by Zero Waste Scotland on preventing litter. This can be viewed on the Zero Waste Scotland website.
Potential applicants are encouraged to contact Zero Waste Scotland to discuss possible projects to determine eligibility and for further information.
The final deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 18 December. It is expected successful applicants will be informed during the week commencing 4 January 2016.