Perth and Kinross buses wrapped to curb roadside litter

A fleet of buses in Perth and Kinross have been wrapped with refreshed advertising to raise awareness of the roadside litter issue.

As part of our work as a key delivery partner of the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy, we have partnered with Perth and Kinross Council, Killiecrankie, Fincastle & Tummel Community Council and local businesses including Stagecoach, Enterprise, Starbucks and McDonald’s to tackle roadside litter.

The intervention updates our national roadside litter campaign Give Your Litter A Lift and uses lessons learned for Enjoy it on the way, bin it on the go, a campaign to tackle single-use food and drink packaging across Forth Valley.

Litter audits were completed during September at two points along the A9: Broxden and Killiecrankie. During these audits more than 2,700 items of litter were counted, with fast food, confectionery and smoking-related litter among the most common items found.

Furthermore, the 2024 Scottish Litter Survey, published by us in association with the Diffley Partnership, found that 88% of those surveyed agree roadside litter is a problem in Scotland.

The survey also revealed 81% want to see increased action to clean up litter in their communities.

Heather McLaughlin, our Campaigns and Social Innovation Manager, said: “We already knew that 88% of people areas across Scotland think roadside litter is an issue, and our two Perthshire audits by the A9 highlighted the scale of the litter problem that Perth and Kinross Council must address.

“Our revamped Give Your Litter A Lift campaign will remind drivers of their responsibility to keep our roads clean - to do the right thing and take your litter home or bin it after finishing a snack or drink in your vehicle.

“Scotland has a litter emergency but we could do so much to tackle the issue if we all just took responsibility for our own rubbish and binned it correctly. People across Scotland want to see more action against litter and it’s fantastic to have the support of Killiecrankie, Fincastle & Tummel Community Council and local businesses for this campaign.”

Councillor Watters, Perth and Kinross Council Convener, Climate Change and Sustainability Committee, said: “Roadside littering is not just an eyesore; it poses significant environmental and public health risks. Litter can harm wildlife, pollute waterways, and create breeding grounds for pests.

“We must take responsibility for our waste and work together to keep our streets clean and safe for everyone and I am sure these adverts will help drive that message home.”

This campaign to inspire behaviour change to reduce litter is being delivered by Keep Scotland Beautiful, a key delivery partner of the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy and Action Plan.