My Beach Your Beach campaign relaunched at Portobello

Environmental charity, Keep Scotland Beautiful, has kicked off its “My Beach, Your Beach” campaign for the third year at Portobello Beach.

Every summer since 2018 the campaign has worked to raise awareness of bathing water quality and the role that people can play, whether on the beach or at home, to protect the sand and sea at Portobello. From feeding gulls to leaving litter and dog mess behind, seemingly simple habits can cause pollution and put both water quality and beach experience at risk.

In previous years, the campaign has been successful in significantly reducing the incidence of litter and dog fouling – with a 55% reduction in litter between the first and second year of the campaign.

My Beach Your Beach will continue to raise awareness of the potential impact on water quality by dog fouling and encouraging gulls by feeding and leaving litter. In addition, this year, My Beach Your Beach aims to ensure that beaches are not negatively impacted by increased use by locals and visitors alike as lockdown eases.

Portobello Beach joins five others selected for the 2020 campaign, all of which have faced challenges in improving the quality of their bathing water as measured by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

Research confirms the strong link between behaviour on the land and the cleanliness of the local seawater, so this year the campaign is more poignant than ever, as we see some of our favourite sites facing unprecedented pressures as more people holiday in Scotland, consume more single-use and take-away food and find services, such as toilets and bin provisions, limited.

Paul Wallace, Campaigns and Innovation Manager at Keep Scotland Beautiful said, “We are delighted to be bringing My Beach Your Beach, with a difference, back to Portobello Beach this year. 

At a time when we have all reconnected with our local spaces, and are starting to visit sites further away for leisure, we know that if the sun comes out our beaches could bear the brunt of a wave of anti-social behaviour.

“The 2020 campaign will take community engagement on-line and encourage those who live locally to get involved and celebrate their beach. But we will still be ensuring the campaign has a presence on the beach too – with the familiar campaign artwork appearing on bins and at key business locations.

“We’re calling for people who are #LuckyToLiveHere and love their local beach to get involved and celebrate what is on the doorstep – starting with a call out to share images and stories about the beach they love with us.”

In addition to old campaign favourites like the doggy ambassador competition and business support packs, new activities for 2020 will include surveys for local people to monitor the litter and dog fouling levels, a Young Reporters competition and educational resources that celebrate the beach. 

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “We’re pleased that My Beach, Your Beach will continue to focus on Portobello Beach this year.

“It’s wonderful that we have such a well-loved beach in the city, particularly in recent months, but as we’ve seen lately, the litter and dog fouling that result from its popularity are unacceptable. By involving local people in celebrating their waterfront, this campaign will help spread the word on the impact antisocial behaviour can have on water quality.”

The campaign, funded by the Scottish Government and supported by SEPA, is being led by Keep Scotland Beautiful to sit alongside its Upstream Battle and Clean Up Scotland campaigns and annual Beach Awards.

Find out more about how you can get involved and contribute to the campaign on your local beach at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/mybeachyourbeach