A call has been issued for more than 50,000 people willing to get involved in a Scotland-wide litter picking initiative this spring.
Last year, environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful persuaded 45,000 participants to ‘get involved, build community links and make a positive impact on the streets, parks, rivers and beaches we all care about’.
This year, with Scotland’s litter problem rightly described as an ‘emergency’, the charity is hoping to attract more than 50,000 people to take part in a huge Spring Clean from 21 March to 21 April.
Keep Scotland Beautiful’s latest report – How clean are our streets? – found that 72% of all sites surveyed were littered. The charity’s 2024 Scottish Litter Survey also found that 87% of people agreed that litter is a problem across Scotland.
Chief executive at Keep Scotland Beautiful, Barry Fisher, said: “Our data clearly shows the extent of the litter issue we are facing across the country.
“However, we also know there is a massive appetite for positive actions – more than 80% of people agree they want to see increased action to clean up litter in their communities.
“Last year’s Spring Clean was, as always, a huge success, with more than 45,000 people taking part in every local authority area across the country,” said Fisher.
“We know how much desire there is for a litter free Scotland, and with this year being our 25th anniversary as a Scottish charity, we are setting our ambitions high, and encouraging everyone to get involved and play a part in making this the biggest, best and most impactful Spring Clean yet.”
Businesses of all sizes, anywhere across the country, are also being encouraged to take part in the Spring Clean by organising litter picks and supporting participating communities and employees.
To learn more about this year’s big Spring Clean, visit: www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/springclean
