Litter free campaign launched for Seaboard Villages

Highland Council is working with Zero Waste Scotland on a four month long project to encourage 500 households in the Seaboard Villages of Balintore, Shandwick and Hilton to reduce local litter levels and fly tipping incidents. The project will start in December and end in March 2014.

As part of the project, additional litter and recycling bins will be placed in the villages following consultation with local community organisations’ and residents. Local residents will also receive information about the impacts of litter on the local area and how everyone can help to reduce this.

 A range of local community based activities will be taking place including local community discussion sessions, a community beach clean, local school children will also be taking part in a secret litter ballot.

Local litter and fly tipping levels will be monitored before and after the project to see if it has been successful and Highland Council hope to use the results of this projects to help to develop future strategies to tackle litter and fly tipping across the Highland region.
 
Chairman of The Highland Council’s Transport, Environment and Communities Committee, Councillor Graham Phillips said: “The Seaboard Villages are situated on an outstanding section of Scottish coastline and it is everyone’s responsibility to keep the area clean and free of litter and fly tipped rubbish. I hope local residents take up the challenge of making the Seaboard Villages litter free.”

Zero Waste Scotland estimate that 250 million items are littered and 61,000 items are fly tipped in Scotland every year, costing £53 million to clean up. 50% of this litter could be recycled, saving £1.2 million.