Towards a litter-free Scotland
Scotland’s national litter strategy has clear goals – to prevent litter and fly-tipping, and to encourage personal responsibility and behaviour change.
Towards a litter-free Scotland: a strategic approach to higher quality local environments, published by the Scottish Government in June 2014, is based on research and extensive consultation.
The strategy promotes a new approach to litter, focusing on prevention instead of clean-up, and encourages action based on specific types of interventions and collaborative efforts to drive change.
The strategy revolves around three primary interventions:
- Information - improving communications, engagement and education around the issue.
- Infrastructure - improving the facilities and services provided to reduce litter and promote recycling.
- Enforcement - strengthening the deterrent effect of legislation and improving enforcement processes.
Key areas for action include:
- Promoting collaborative and co-ordinated action and a platform for sharing good practice
- Consistent and tailored messaging
- Education – development of materials and engaging young people
- Exploring options for local community preventative action
- Support for Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Clean Up Scotland initiative
- A pilot incentivised scheme
- Increasing opportunities recycle in public places
- Support innovation in product design to reduce potential for items to become litter and encourage the use of reusable and recyclable packaging
- Support stakeholders to improve service design
- Review of the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse
- Support stakeholders to develop actions plans
- Develop and publish a range of guidance to support stakeholders
- Support innovative interventions
- Improve data on litter and flytipping to quantify the scale of the problem and target action
- Commission research to better understand public perceptions of litter and flytipping
- Review of existing enforcement measures and processes
- Increase the value of fixed penalty notices
- Test new enforcement powers for other public bodies
The role of Zero Waste Scotland
We are convening action with our partners and stakeholders to deliver a number of actions in the strategy through a range of measures.
For more information please contact the Litter and Flytipping Team flytipping@zerowastescotland.org.uk.