Water of Leith litter pick this Saturday

GRANTON Goes Greemer are very excited to be involved in another rubbish picking event organised by Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC)💚💚💚

This time, we will be working around Water of Leith and the meeting point is off Coburg Street, opposite Ostara Caf, this Saturday (29/04) between 11 am and 1:30 PM.

We should have enough rubbish pickers for everyone, but you are welcome to bring your own!

. Any questions-email: anna@grantongoesgreener.org.uk

Spring Clean Scotland: Get involved!

Does litter bug you?  Do you want to do something about it?  This spring, environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful is calling for Scotland’s communities to join a Spring Clean challenge from 21 March-21 April to help clean up our country.

Spending more time outdoors was an unexpected benefit of lockdown. But along with our renewed appreciation of nature, many of us realised Scotland is facing a huge litter problem. Our research revealed that 88% of Scots agree that litter is a problem across Scotland. And 70% are concerned about litter in their area.

If you feel frustrated about the litter in your community or the places you visit, you can do something about it. Spring Clean Scotland is the perfect opportunity to make a difference by picking up litter on your local beach, streets, parks and beyond. Get involved and help make the places we care about cleaner and safer for people and animals.

Every action, however small, makes a difference. Just half an hour of picking up litter and disposing of it safely can help an area look cleaner and feel safer, and evidence shows it also prevents more litter being dropped. 

Why not organise a litter pick with friends, family, workmates or your wider community? Or find one to join in with on Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Clean Up Scotland map.

We know young people feel strongly about caring for the environment and want to do something about the harmful effects of litter in their communities. Your school can get involved too. As part of Spring Clean, there is a Live Lesson open to all schools across the UK.

Barry Fisher, CEO of Keep Scotland Beautiful said, “Across Scotland we have seen a steady increase in the amount of litter over the past decade. While this is a real challenge, we are heartened by the incredible work of litter picking heroes up and down the country.

“Our communities already play a vital role in taking action to tackle litter, with many people giving up their time to clean up their local areas despite the challenges of the last two years.

“We would love as many people as possible to join in and give Scotland a spring clean this March and April.

“For those that wish to take further action, The Scottish Government is currently consulting on a revised National Litter and Flytipping Strategy and you can still respond until the end of March and have #YourSayOnLitter.”

Inspired to take positive action? Learn more and sign up to join in here:

www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/springclean.

FREE FISH AND CHIPS!

Porty chippy hosts a beach clean to tackle waste

St Andrews Takeaway in Portobello has teamed up with Love Seafood and community group, Keep Porty Tidy, to help combat beach plastic pollution by offering free portions of fish and chips on Saturday 4 September. 

Thirty-five portions of fish and chips are up for grabs for beachcombers, who will be able to swap their collected litter for a portion of fish and chips. The pay with plastic day kicks off at the popular beachside takeaway from [insert time].

After a scorcher summer, people have been enjoying Portobello’s award-winning beach more than ever but unfortunately many are still leaving behind their litter. The plastic payment initiative follows a recent report from Marine Scotland which revealed that, on average, 500,000 pieces of plastic litter can be found on Scottish east coast beaches at any one time.

St Andrews Takeaway has partnered with Love Seafood, who is on a mission to inspire the nation to fall in love with seafood and what better way than to create a cleaner, safer shoreline. Keep Porty Tidy is a volunteer group tackling litter through community action in Portobello and will be on hand on the day to support with equipment and advice on picking litter safely and efficiently.

Chris MacRae, Marketing Manager for St Andrews Takeaway, said: “There’s no better way to celebrate the end of summer than with a hearty portion of fish and chips, but that shouldn’t come at a cost to our local environment. Our partnership with Love Seafood is a welcome step in our fight against beach waste.

“The local community’s commitment to keeping Portobello a litter-free zone has been outstanding. However, as more people use the beach, more effort is needed to keep it clean. We look forward to boosting our pool of litter warriors through the scheme and welcoming them through our doors for a well-deserved seaside treat.”

Naomi McCann, Marketing Manager for Love Seafood said: “Keeping our coastal communities clean, tidy and litter free is the responsibility of all beach users. Not only is littering unsightly and costly to clean up, but it also poses a threat to local people, wildlife and marine ecosystems.

“The current support from St Andrews Takeaway for Keep Porty Tidy is helping to reduce the amount of litter on Portobello’s magnificent beach and we look forward to working with them to reward hard working volunteers this Saturday with a classic seaside staple – delicious fish and chips!”

Fort Kinnaird joins the Great British Spring Clean

Volunteer litter pickers from Fort Kinnaird recently joined the Keep Britain Tidy Great British Spring Clean in a bid to help tidy up Edinburgh.

A team of nine volunteers joined forces on Thursday 10th June for its first community litter pick, where they conquered the stretch from Fort Kinnaird to The Jewel.

In a team effort, William Grigg, Lindy Watson, David Overton, Liam Smith, William Urban, Colin McEwen, Kevin Dargavel, James Stevenson and Alan Mcgoldrick from the Fort Kinnaird team collected 15 bags of mixed waste and bottles.

Following the success, volunteers from Fort Kinnaird will continue with their community litter picks on a monthly basis, as the centre continues its commitment to minimising the impact it has on its local community.

Liam Smith, Centre Director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “We’re really proud to be participating in this year’s Great British Spring Clean, joining thousands of people across the UK to clear litter from our streets, parks and benches.

“It’s been great to help tidy up our local area and to give back to our local community in Edinburgh.”