Upstream Battle continues to grow with support from Marine Fund Scotland
21 October 2024
We’ve been working hard through our Upstream Battle Campaign over the last six years to tackle litter at source and stop it reaching the sea because 90% of people agree litter is a problem across Scotland and it is estimated 80% of marine litter comes from land.
Now, with official confirmation that we have secured funding from Marine Fund Scotland, our award-winning campaign is set to pick up pace as it continues to raise awareness of the strong link between litter on land and in our marine environment, gather evidence through citizen science and inspire action to improve waterways and prevent litter entering the sea.
Over the next six months Upstream Battle® will focus on encouraging people to gather more data, building on our first national Citizen Science Report. And, we will be building on our campaign successes so far and collaborating with more local groups to embed community action to tackle litter at source.
Working with the GRAB Trust we will also be running our Marine Litter Art Competition, focused on the Arrochar Litter Sink, and working with schools across the Clyde Valley, Ayrshire Coast and Argyll and Bute.
Additionally, we are planning an exciting new intervention on the River Irvine in partnership with North Ayrshire Council and the Irvine Clean-Up Crew.
Heather McLaughlin, our Campaign and Social Innovation Manager commented, “Since we launched our Upstream Battle® campaign in 2018, it has flowed from the Clyde to the Tay and now supports action to tackle litter along our rivers across Scotland. We are pleased to have secured funding once again through Marine Fund Scotland, allowing us to inspire further action at a national level.
“We look forward to playing our part delivering our actions in the Marine Litter Strategy and supporting Scotland’s Blue Economy Vision as we help people connect with our marine environment and reduce the amount of litter entering it from our waterways.”
As a key delivery partner for the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy and the Marine Litter Strategy for Scotland, we are committed to helping inspire action to tackle our country’s litter emergency.
You can find out more about our past work, read our reports or you can get involved this year and help us collect data by carrying out surveys by waterways near you.
