Kicking off Spring Clean Scotland

We were joined by MSP’s Paul McLennan and Foysol Choudhury at Holyrood Park this afternoon to launch our national Spring Clean Scotland campaign and call upon people across Scotland to play their part in tackling the country’s litter emergency from 17 March to 17 April.

The event, which took place just outside the Scottish Parliament and around Holyrood Palace, kicked off four weeks of litter picking action. For those frustrated about the volume of litter in their area or at Scotland’s many beauty spots, the Spring Clean is a perfect opportunity to make a difference and we are calling on communities, schools, businesses and other organisations to play their part.

The Scottish Litter Survey, which we published in December last year, highlighted the negative impact litter is continuing to have across the nation. Litter remains a significant issue of public concern with 67% believing that litter is a problem in their local area, while 87% that it is an issue across Scotland.

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 our Clean Up Scotland map.

Scotland has a rich and diverse natural environment, and the litter picking activities that will be carried out over the four weeks of Spring Clean will contribute to increasing and maintaining biodiversity across terrestrial and marine environments.

Paul McLennan said: "I was delighted to support Keep Scotland Beautiful with the launch of the Spring Clean Scotland campaign for 2023 with a litter pick at the Scottish Parliament. Reducing litter levels across Scotland is important for our environment, our wildlife and our own health and wellbeing. I’d encourage everyone to get involved in the campaign and take action to tackle litter in their local area."

Inspired to take positive action? Learn more and sign up to join here: www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/springclean.