Tag: environment

Covid-19 lockdown inspires Scots to take more care of the environment

A whopping 95% of Scottish consumers say that since the Covid-19 outbreak, it is more important than ever to take care of our planet and the environment, a European-wide study by drink can recycling initiative, Every Can Counts, has found.

The stats show that Scots are leading the way in the UK for feeling the importance of recycling in current times.

The majority (94%) of survey respondents in Scotland said it is an urgent task to tackle recycling, while 96% said that considering recycling and its importance for the planet is an obligation of all citizens and consumers, not just world leaders.

Despite this however, the survey also discovered that in these uncertain economic times, 55% of Scottish consumers say that the economy is currently a priority over the environment.

In the wake of Sir David Attenborough’s latest film, A Life On Our Planet, as well as his joining Instagram at 94 and achieving one million followers in record-breaking time, it seems environmental issues are finally coming to the fore.

Within the film’s poignant and hard-hitting introduction, Attenborough says, “The natural world is fading. This film is my witness statement and my vision for the future. The story of how we came to make this, our greatest mistake, and how, if we act now, we can yet put it right.” 

It seems this seed has been well and truly planted in the minds of Scots with 73% stating that, during the pandemic, they have recycled more than ever, suggesting that the increase in time spent at home has made it easier for people to do their bit and recycle more. Only 48% however, said they often or always recycle when at work and less when out and about at 45%.

Commenting on the figures, Rick Hindley, Director of Every Can Counts says: “The figures imply that given the time and correct resources, we’re all more than capable of recycling everything we can.

“It’s when we’re out and about or at work that it becomes more difficult. The findings from the survey also suggest that Covid-19 has prompted us to consider our own fragility as human beings and look at the way we treat the planet, our home.

“The Covid-19 outbreak has of course brought about devastating effects. However, as we can see from these survey results, one positive is that people are beginning to sit and up and take notice of the vital environmental issues we are facing. We do not have forever to rectify the damage that has been done to our planet. The time is now.

“Recycling – and especially recycling drink cans given that aluminium is infinitely recyclable – is something we can all do to help the planet. Over the past five years, the UK recycling rate for drink cans has increased by 16% to an impressive 76%. Our vision is to get that to 100%.”

Scottish respondents echoed this call to action with a massive 92% saying they would like to do more when it comes to recycling and 84% feeling that more needs to be done in general to encourage recycling amongst consumers.

Of the 12 UK regions surveyed as part of the wider European study, Greater London, Yorkshire & Humberside, the South West and South East came up top when quantifying the importance of recycling with scores of 80% plus, closely followed by Scotland and the West Midlands with scores of 79%.

It appears that the challenges of Covid-19 have further inspired Scots to care for the environment. 95% of Scots agreed that Covid-19 has made taking care of the planet and recycling more important than ever, the highest level of agreement recorded across all 12 UK regions, shared with the East of England.

Below: UK regions ranked in order of agreeing with the following statement: After Covid-19 it is more important than ever to take care of our planet / environment and recycle. 

1.     Scotland 95%

2.     East of England 95%

3.     North West 93%

4.     Northern Ireland 93%

5.     Greater London 91%

6.     North East 91%

7.     Yorkshire & Humberside 91%

8.     East Midlands 90%

9.     West Midlands 89%

10.  South West 89%

11.  Wales 86%

12.  South East 84%

To see an Every Can Counts brand video, visit: YouTube. 

Does science have a plastic problem?

Microbiologists take steps to reducing plastic waste

 “Everyone can make a difference!” urge microbiologists after developing a new approach that could reduce their laboratory’s plastic waste by over 500kg a year.  

The group, based at the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute, developed an approach to reduce plastic waste produced by their lab. They have shared their approach in the journal Access Microbiology, with the hope that other labs will follow suit.

Led by Dr Amy Pickering (no relation – Ed.), the lab replaced single-use plastics with re-useable equipment. Where alternatives were not available, the group decontaminated and re-used plastic equipment which would have usually been thrown away after one use.

“We knew that we were using plastic daily in our research, but it wasn’t until we took the time to quantify the waste that the volumes being used really hit home. That really emphasized the need for us to introduce plastic reducing measures,” said Dr Pickering.

The lab developed a new scheme which focused on sustainability, moving away from the use of single-use plastics wherever possible. In some cases, the research group would use reusable wooden or metal items instead of plastic.

If there were no alternatives, the group focused on reusing plastic equipment by chemically decontaminating the plastic tubes before a second level of decontamination under heat and pressure – known as autoclaving. 

To determine the success of the scheme, the lab of seven researchers spent four weeks documenting the plastic waste produced in regular conditions. They then measured the amount of waste produced over the next seven weeks with new processes to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic. 

Dr. Pickering said: “Once the measures were in place it was quickly clear that large impacts were being seen. The most surprising thing for us was how resilient some plastics are to being autoclaved and therefore how many times they can be re-used. This means that we were able to save more plastic than we originally anticipated.”

In implementing these replace and reuse practises, 1670 tubes and 1300 loops were saved during a four-week period. This led to a 43-kilogram reduction in waste. 

The typical microbiology laboratory uses mostly disposable plastic, which is often not recycled due to biological contamination. In 2014, 5.5 million tonnes of plastic waste were generated in research laboratories worldwide. The Edinburgh lab works with dangerous disease-causing bacteria, due to the dangers of contamination, their waste must be autoclaved and incinerated at a high environmental and monetary cost.

Practices to reduce plastic waste in research labs is becoming increasingly popular in the UK, with researchers from the University of York decontaminating and re-using plastic flasks and researchers from a chemistry lab in Edinburgh recycling 1 million plastic gloves in 2019.

“It’s important to take some time identifying what plastic items you are using the most. This will allow you to identify both the easy wins, such as replacing plastic inoculation loops for re-useable metal ones, as well as the bigger tasks, such as re-using plastic tubes. That will help you to bring others on board and build momentum,” added Dr Pickering.  

The new protocols not only prevent plastic waste, but also save money according to Dr Pickering: “Over a 3-month period of implementing the protocols we will have saved over £400 of plastic tubes, inoculation loops, and cuvettes” she said. 

The full details of the lab’s new waste-reducing protocols are free to read in Access Microbiology.

Morrisons goes glitter-free

Morrisons has removed glitter entirely from its own-brand ranges of greetings cards, gift wrap, seasonal items and horticulture in stores.

This means all Morrisons cards, crackers, wrapping paper, present bags, flowers, plants and wreaths are now 100 per cent glitter-free. Glitter is made from tiny particles of plastic and is an ecological hazard if it becomes dispersed on land, rivers and oceans – where it takes hundreds of years to degrade.

The move extends to non-seasonal as well as seasonal lines meaning Morrisons shoppers can shop more sustainably all year round. Soluble inks, foil and paper reliefs will instead be used to decorate Morrisons FSC certified paper cards, wrap and bags to give them a festive feel.

Morrisons has also removed all plastic toys from its Christmas crackers, which will be completely plastic-free this year.

All contents – such as games and gifts – will now be made out of paper, metal or wood and are designed to be kept and reused. The cracker shells will be made from FSC accredited cardboard and decorated with a metallic basked ink – which means they can be recycled at kerbside, along with their packaging.

In a further move to make Christmas more sustainable, Morrisons has also reduced the amount of plastic packaging on cards and decorations. The majority of Morrisons cards will come boxed in recyclable cardboard and 100 per cent of packaging on cards and decorations can be easily recycled by local authorities.

The supermarket is also introducing a wide range of ‘no plastic’ felt, hessian and wooden Christmas decorations.

The move to ban glitter and reduce plastic in Christmas ranges means that Morrisons will be removing more than 50 tonnes of plastic from its shelves during the festive period, and more across non-seasonal lines all year round.

Christine Bryce, Morrisons Home Director. said: “Every time a cracker is pulled, or a card is opened, plastics have been used…but just the once. So, we’ve taken glitter and plastic out of our festive range this year – so that our customers can enjoy their festivities without worrying about the environmental impact.

“This means that we’re now 100 per cent glitter free across all our own brand ranges which is an important step in the fight against plastic pollution.”


Morrisons glitter-free Christmas cards are in store now. Crackers, decorations, wrapping paper and gift bags will be appearing on shelves throughout October and November.

In May, Morrisons increased its target to reduce own-brand plastic packaging from 25% to 50% by 2025.

For more details on Morrisons commitments around plastic visit:  https://www.morrisons-corporate.com/cr/corporate-responsibility/.

Portobello community embraces My Beach,Your Beach campaign

A summer of learning, celebrating and caring for Portobello Beach has come to a close, as environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful reports on its My Beach, Your Beach campaign.

Launched in mid-July, just as we were easing out of lockdown, the campaign aimed to help improve water quality at six of Scotland’s well-loved beaches through targeted interventions to encourage better attitudes and behaviours.

Now, as we look to the autumn and winter, it is heartening to see that despite 57% of people thinking dog poo is an issue and 35% believing litter is an issue at Portobello Beach, 66% of those surveyed in the area have said they are willing to pick up litter when visiting the beach to leave it cleaner than they found it.

The successful campaign raised awareness of the potential impact on bathing water quality by dog fouling and encouraging gulls by feeding and leaving litter.

The third year of the My Beach Your Beach campaign was a little bit different – extending it to two more great beaches, Irvine and Troon – and also taking community engagement online in the face of lockdown measures, to encourage those who live locally to get involved and celebrate their beach.

Campaign messaging appeared on the bins along the promenade, encouraging people to dispose of waste responsibly.

This was supported by anthe interactive online programme aiming to celebrate and engage people with their local beach, through information about local environment, landscape and heritage, quizzes, photo galleries and a virtual ‘Doggy Ambassador’ competition, reaching nearly 10,000 people.

 Although impact monitoring was not possible this year, 90% of locals surveyed had seen at least one campaign message and 83% said that they would like to see more campaign activity like this in the future. Last year, the campaign achieved a 53% reduction in litter as compared to the previous year and a 40% reduction in dog poo too.

Paul Wallace, Campaigns and Innovation Manager at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “We know that, in many cases, people only need a small nudge to do the right thing and take better care of their local environment.

“This summer, our local neighbourhoods became even more precious to many of us.  For those #LuckyToLiveHere by the beach, the unprecedented pressures of more people taking holidays and day trips in Scotland, consuming more single-use items and take-away food and using limited services, such as toilets and bins, were felt.

“We’re grateful to both council staff and members of local community groups like Keep Porty Tidy, Friends of Porty Prom and Portobello Timebank for working to keep the beach clean for everyone to enjoy and are delighted to find that, following following this summer’s campaign, over 60% of people from communities locally have shown an interest in picking up litter at Portobello beach when they visit, to leave it cleaner than they found it.

“Cleaner sands can lead to cleaner seas – a win, win for our beach environments and communities.”

Cllr Lesley Macinnes, city council Environment Convener, said: “Our beaches and other open spaces have been so important for people to enjoy in recent months as we’ve all had to adapt to the coronavirus restrictions.

“It’s really important then that we look after them and keep them clean and tidy for everyone to enjoy. This campaign has been really helpful in supporting the hard work of our waste services department getting across that message and celebrating Portobello.”  

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

All six of the beaches selected for this campaign have faced challenges in improving the quality of their bathing water as measured by SEPA, and research confirms a significant link between behaviour on the land and the cleanliness of the local seawater.

Find out more about Portobello Beach by visiting its campaign web page at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/mybeachyourbeach/

Record number of Edinburgh parks win Green Flag awards

Thirty-four of Edinburgh’s parks have achieved Green Flags in the 2020 national competition, which recognises high quality green spaces.

The city received almost half of the 77 flags issued in Scotland. Two city parks, Saughton Park and St Katharine’s Park, received the status for the first time in 2020, joining the other 32 parks already waving their Green Flag.

The Green Flag Award is the UK’s national standard for parks and green spaces and is administered in Scotland by Keep Scotland Beautiful. To make sure the Capital’s parks are kept to a high standard, each year the Council checks all its parks and gardens using Green Flag Award criteria. This inspection is carried out by formal Green Flag judges along with other Council officers, Council partners and members of the public. From this assessment, each park is given a parks quality score.

Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Donald Wilson, said: “The awards are given to those parks that give everyone access to a safe, clean and pleasant green space where they can relax, play and exercise and I’m delighted that so many of our parks have achieved this important and much sought after recognition. 

“The quality of Edinburgh’s parks continues to improve in spite of these challenging times. I am very proud of all our award winning parks and of those who work all year round, and in all weather to keep our parks beautiful.”

Culture and Communities Vice Convener, Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, said: “This is fantastic news, parks have proved to be real havens this year and my thanks to our hardworking parks staff for their continued care for our much-loved parks through challenging times. My thanks also to dedicated Friends of Parks groups for everything they do. I would encourage everyone to explore our parks this Autumn.”

The Council has been taking part in the Green Flag Award scheme since 2007, when two Green Flags were achieved.

Our Green Flag Parks are:

  • Braidburn Valley Park
  • Burdiehouse Burn Valley Park
  • Corstorphine Hill
  • Craigmillar Castle Park
  • Easter Craiglockhart Hill Local Nature Reserve
  • Fairmilehead Park
  • Ferniehill Community Park
  • Ferry Glen & Back Braes
  • Figgate Park
  • Hailes Quarry Park
  • Harrison Park
  • Hermitage and Blackford Hill Local Nature
  • Hopetoun Crescent Garden
  • Inverleith Park
  • King George V & Scotland Yard Park
  • Lauriston Castle
  • Lochend Park
  • London Road Gardens
  • Morningside Park
  • Muir Wood Park
  • Pentland Hills Regional Park
  • Portobello Community Garden
  • Prestonfield Park
  • Princes Street Gardens
  • Ravelston Woods Local Nature Reserve
  • Rosefield Park
  • Seven Acres Park
  • Spylaw Park
  • St Margaret’s Park
  • Starbank Park
  • Station Road Park
  • Victoria Park

We’re campaigning for Wardie Bay to be included in Scotland’s list of designated Bathing Waters

In 2019, the Wardie Bay Wild Ones wild swimmers and Wardie Bay Beachwatch applied to SEPA for designated Bathing Water status for Wardie Bay.

We have been working hard to help generate support for this important cause for both recreational users and marine life. We would love if you could please read, sign and share our petition, which achieved 1,000 signatures in its first four days.

Please support our campaign film

#WardieBay4BathingWater

 We are also making a film, working with videographer, Carlos Hernan. We would like to pay him a professional fee for supporting us in these difficult times.
Please click here for information.

Thank you!

Make a Donation!

Consultation launched on banning common single-use plastic items

Plans to ban some of the most environmentally damaging single-use plastic items in Scotland, including plastic cutlery and plastic straws, have been published for consultation.

The Scottish Government is seeking views on the introduction of new legislation to restrict the sale or commercial supply of plastic plates, plastic straws, plastic cutlery, polystyrene food and drink containers, plastic balloon sticks and products made from oxo-degradable plastics.

These items are the ones most commonly found washed up on European beaches and were identified in the EU Single Plastics Directive as contributing the majority share of litter found in the marine environment.

Millions are used in Scotland each year, including an estimated 300 million plastic straws, 276 million pieces of plastic cutlery, 50 million plastic plates and 66 million polystyrene food containers.

Restrictions on the sale or commercial supply of these single use plastic products would support efforts to tackle Scotland’s throwaway culture, reduce problematic litter and promote the use of more environmentally-friendly alternatives. 

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “There is no longer any doubt that plastic waste is having a hugely damaging impact on our oceans, rivers and land ecosystems.

“We must act now to reduce our reliance on single-use plastic and drive forward a move towards more sustainable, environmentally-friendly alternatives.

“Failure to do so is a dereliction of our duty to our children, who will inherit a natural world polluted by the plastics we have thrown away for the sake of convenience.

“This government is committed to tackling this problem. We were the first country in the UK to ban plastic-stemmed cotton buds and plans are well underway for a Deposit Return Scheme in Scotland.

“The proposals published today will take us further – keeping pace with the environmental standards of our European partners and re-affirming our position as a world-leader in the circular economy.

“However, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that the introduction of these measures is carefully considered. It is why we are keen to hear a range of views and I would encourage any individual, business or organisation with an interest to respond to the consultation.”

It is expected that any legislation would be introduced in 2021. The consultation will also seek views on the introduction of a ban on the non-commercial supply and manufacture of the single-use plastic items outlined in the consultation.

Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Plastic is by far the most commonly used material in today’s single-use culture. There are clear benefits in use, of flexibility and durability, but plastic also causes significant damage when it leaks into our natural environment, including our rivers, lochs and seas.

“The consultation offers an opportunity to protect wildlife and prevent the heart-breaking scenes we see all too often in TV documentaries like Blue Planet 2. We hope people will also take this opportunity to adopt more sustainable solutions, such as reusable alternatives, to these single-use items.”

View the consultation on Citizen Space. The consultation will be open for 12 weeks and close on 04 January 2021 .

The full list of products being considered for market restrictions are:

  1. Single-use plastic cutlery (forks, knives, spoons, chopsticks)
  2. Single-use plastic plates (plates, trays/platters, bowls)
  3. Single-use plastic straws
  4. Single-use plastic beverage stirrers
  5. Single-use plastic balloon sticks
  6. Single-use food containers made of expanded polystyrene
  7. Single-use cups and other beverage containers made of expanded polystyrene, including their covers and lids
  8. All oxo-degradable products. This type of plastic (due to additives contained in it) contributes to micro-plastic pollution in the environment, is not compostable and negatively affects the recycling of conventional plastic.

Restricting these items would bring Scotland in line with Article 5 of the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive (EU) 2019/904.

Green light for a greener Meadowbank

Plans to transform Meadowbank into one of Edinburgh’s greenest neighbourhoods were approved by councillors last week.

Shaped in response to views shared by local residents – who were keen to see more quality greenspace, places for play and better-connected walking and cycle routes brought to the area – the masterplan for Council-owned land at Meadowbank was approved by the Development Management Sub Committee on Wednesday.

The £100m project is now expected to become the first development of its size in Edinburgh to promote the Council’s net zero carbon by 2030 goals by creating a low-car, low-carbon community and energy efficient new homes.

The sustainable mixed-use development will also create jobs and a significant economic boost by regenerating a five-hectare area next to the new Meadowbank Sports Centre – which is already set to become one of the greenest and most accessible centres for community sport in the country when it opens next year.

Space for a new GP surgery and community and commercial uses, the protection of existing trees and planting of saplings plus new rain gardens also feature in landscaping designs, which aim to pay tribute to the area’s sporting and industrial heritage.

With support from Nature Scot and the Scottish Government, the Masterplan has been awarded Building with Nature accreditation, setting the standard for high-quality low carbon features, and the Council has undertaken studies on the option for ‘green roofs’. The designs have also been endorsed by Sustrans’ Places for Everyone scheme, which brings specialised active travel knowledge to the project.

Councillor Neil Gardiner, Planning Convener, said:  “As a planning authority, we need make sure we protect our City’s beautiful and historic built environment, while supporting our communities to become sustainable for twenty-first century living.

“We also need to adapt our city to meet the needs of a growing population, address the increasing impact of climate change and ensure growth is responsible. These designs for Meadowbank meet these needs with plans for a truly low-carbon, low-car, energy efficient neighbourhood, featuring new affordable homes. This is a really important site for the City and I’d like to thank everyone who took time to participate in the consultation process.

“The masterplan includes homes to meet different needs, including for families. One third of the houses will be affordable, making a welcome contribution to the needs of the heroes who keep our city running every day. This masterplan, which has broad community support, offers a gold standard for new developments across the city for both the public and private sectors.”

Councillor Maureen Child, Vice Planning Convener, said: “Our aspirations for place making through our new City Plan, which we are currently drafting, are about making sure our communities continue to be great places where people want to live and visit, so feedback from the local community has been key to shaping Committee’s decision making on Meadowbank.

“I’m pleased that an open conversation has been had and that we’ve been able to agree these ambitious plans, which offer a mix of community benefits and improved facilities. It will see the community evolve into a more connected and climate conscious community, in line with our net zero carbon targets.”

Keir Bloomer, the project’s independent Sounding Board Chair, said: “The current proposals have emerged through an intensive exercise in community engagement. In addition to a number of public information sessions and consultation meetings, a Meadowbank Sounding Board was established almost two years ago.

“This group contains representatives of a wide range of local community groups and organisations, including those who were opposed to the original proposals for the site. Local councillors and others with relevant committee responsibilities are also members but they are in a minority.

“Considerable efforts have been made to ensure that the sounding board is able to express its views, regardless of whether these are favourable to the Council’s perspective or not. I was asked to chair the group as somebody who is completely independent.

“The sounding board met quite frequently until restrictions during the pandemic made this impossible. Designs for the site have been altered on a number of occasions in response to its views. As a result, the current plans are greener and more open. Housing density has been reduced and designs improved. It is intended that the sounding board will continue in existence through the development phase, acting as a strong voice for local people.”

Cathy Houston, Project Architect at Collective Architecture, said: “We are grateful for the time taken by members of the community to engage in the Meadowbank design processes. 

“This is such an important site in Edinburgh’s City Centre and so it is wonderful to be at this stage with a multifaceted proposal which seeks to enrich the neighbourhood on many levels: ecologically, environmentally, socially and with a huge amount of care. 

“The process undertaken with the community has ensured that the development sensitively integrates new housing, local amenities, greenspace and restored public routes east to west.”

Brenda Devlin, a local Community Councillor, said: “Using the expertise of Collective Architecture and the City of Edinburgh Council, local consultations, focus groups, workshops and public meetings were organised.

“It became obvious that the participants that attended these events were being listened to and their suggestions and ideas taken on board. The plans now being presented are a result of these consultation sessions and mostly reflect the vision of local residents, groups, organisations and businesses.

“The creation of a Sounding Board provided another opportunity for further targeted local input and a place for checks and balances to be carried out on the final plans. This eco-friendly development with a mixture of housing types, quality green spaces and community facilities makes this a very exciting development and will be an asset to our area.”

Around 600 modern energy-efficient homes – a minimum of 35% of which will be affordable – are detailed in the planning application, which is available to view as a report to Committee.

More information is available at ww.edinburgh.gov.uk/meadowbank.