Tag: Keep Scotland Beautiful

Western General group is local litter picking hub

As part of its commitment to supporting local communities to tackle local litter issues, environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful is creating 20 new litter picking hubs across Scotland by providing free litter picking equipment that will be available for individuals and groups to borrow, following strict social distancing and safety guidance.

In Edinburgh, the Sustainability Committee at the Western General Hospital will receive a kit, making the group the first hub in the Edinburgh area.

You can contact the local hub by email at ECRF.sustainability@ed.ac.uk

The 20 community groups from across the country are the second collection of litter picking hubs established in Scotland, following eleven created last month.

Through these hubs, Keep Scotland Beautiful is striving to empower communities who are frustrated by litter which worsened during lockdown and over the summer. 

Polling commissioned by Keep Scotland Beautiful in June shows that 30% of people think that litter has got worse in their local area during lockdown.

Barry Fisher, Chief Executive at Keep Scotland Beautiful, commented: “During lockdown, many of us spent time enjoying our local parks and green spaces.

“Lockdown showed us how important these areas are to our health and well-being. Unfortunately, a minority of people have behaved in an irresponsible and selfish manner, dropping their rubbish, leaving it for others to clean up and spoiling our beautiful country.

By using the litter picking hubs, people will be able to tackle litter in the areas they care about and help Clean Up Scotland.”

The funding for these Helping Hands litter kits has been provided by Zero Waste Scotland, and will see kits containing ten litter pickers, gloves, bag hoops and hi vis vests to allow people to take part in either individual or two household litter picks. 

The community groups will also be able to access posters and social media content to help encourage people to look after their local places and keep Scotland beautiful.

Iain Gulland, Chief Executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Litter has no place in a circular economy. Discarding resources like plastic, metal and glass not only blights our communities, it also wastes valuable materials that should be being kept in use for as long as possible.

“Whether it has been our local streets, parks, woodland, countryside or coastline, recent months have highlighted how valuable our environment is to so many of us and why it needs to be kept that way.

“It is a shame these are needed, but the litter picking hubs will give communities the opportunity to tackle the nuisance of litter and ensure the areas they love can continue to look their best.”

Further detail of these hubs can be found here on the Clean Up Scotland website: https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/local-environmental-quality/clean-up-scotland/clean-up-scotland-map/

Celebrate Harvest with a One Planet Picnic

Scotland offers some fantastic local and sustainable food choices and this harvest season, Keep Scotland Beautiful is urging you to celebrate it by hosting a One Planet Picnic.

Open to everyone, from schools, businesses, communities and families the initiative, which is in its 8th year, aims to support people from all over Scotland to discover the great tastes of our seasonal food and local harvests.

This year, as we have faced unprecedented circumstances, many of us have discovered amazing local food on our doorsteps, from small egg producers, to local online food markets and milk delivery firms.  Many of us have relied on local food systems and rediscovered our love of baking bread and taking time to plan our meals and cook from scratch again.

Whether you prefer sweet seasonal fruit or locally sourced fish, hosting a One Planet Picnic allows you to celebrate the local food and recipes you love with others – online or in person in small groups.  

One Planet Picnic helps to raise awareness of the sustainable, local and seasonal food choices that everyone can make, as well as reducing food waste, food miles and food packaging.  A One Planet Picnic is good for you, and good for the planet.

Eve Keepax, Education and Learning Officer, at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said, “Last year more than 17,000 people were registered to take part in a One Planet Picnic and as we emerge from lockdown restrictions we would love to invite people to get involved this year. 

“Why not organise a picnic with a small group of friends and make the most of our stunning scenery or a local park, or host an online picnic with work colleagues or family.   A picnic is a great way to come together, it’s environmentally friendly and there is even a prize draw to enter just by registering your picnic with us.”

Register your own One Planet

Picnic at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/oneplanetpicnic  and access a range of resources including recipes, invitations and posters. 

You will also be entered into a prize draw to win a baking starter pack and baking book donated by the Association of Glasgow Bakers

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  

Keep Scotland Beautiful launches new online summer education programme

Environmental charity, Keep Scotland Beautiful, launches new online summer education programme.

Ten brand new interactive online learning courses will be available for young people across Scotland during the month of July. These exciting new online learning programmes have been developed to provide a fun and enjoyable way for young people to continue their environmental learning during the summer holidays.

The courses cover a range of topics and environmental activities which encourage young people and families to explore the world around them and to think how to protect and improve the places they love. Included are courses on Eco-Schools, heritage, food and the environment and climate change, as well as other environmental topics.

Each course consists of a combination of online learning and practical, fun activities, and all those who complete a course will be rewarded with a certificate of involvement.

Registration is now open for each course and the full list, more information and details about how to take part, can be found at: https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/learning

Daniel Barrie, Education and Learning Manager, said: “Following the huge demand for our online environmental education programme during lockdown from both educators and young people, we have developed a series of exciting and interactive courses for children to take part in during the summer holidays.

“These courses will provide a fun and engaging way for young people and their families to explore some important environmental issues, such as climate change and sustainable food, and the work completed can contribute towards their school’s next Eco-Schools Green Flag award. We have something exciting available for all ages – from nursery through to S6.”

As well as the online summer courses, Keep Scotland Beautiful will also be providing environmental education support to educators once blended learning begins in August. This will build on the existing partnership with E-Sgoil and will include a range of online learning activities for pupils coupled with professional learning for staff.

Climate Challenge Fund now open for applications

The Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) is open for a new round of applications.

Funding is available of up to £100,000 per organisation, per year for the next two financial years 2020-2022. Continue reading Climate Challenge Fund now open for applications

Outdoor enthusiasts encouraged to join Scottish spring clean

Organisations unite to call for collective ownership of outdoor paths
Environmental charity, Keep Scotland Beautiful, has joined forces with Sustrans Scotland, Jog Scotland and Paths for All to encourage outdoor enthusiasts – from joggers to bungee jumpers – to take collective ownership for the paths that help to support their outdoor activities. Continue reading Outdoor enthusiasts encouraged to join Scottish spring clean

City parks celebrate soaring success

A record- breaking 73 parks from across Scotland have been presented with a Green Flag Award this year in recognition of their high standards and provision of quality outdoor space – an increase of three over last year. Edinburgh is the greenest city of all with no less than 30 green flags!

Continue reading City parks celebrate soaring success

A free family-friendly event: Edinburgh Climate Festival

Community-led organisations from across Edinburgh and surrounding areas invite the public to join them on Saturday 18th March (1pm – 6pm) in Southside Community Centre for the second Climate Festival.  Continue reading A free family-friendly event: Edinburgh Climate Festival