Meeting of the Parliament 02 February 2016
Scotland is dirty: there is no way around that. The amount of litter bears that fact out, in spite of well-meaning local initiatives such as Leithers don’t litter and many others across Scotland. Such initiatives can make a difference in local areas and are setting the exact example that we need to see replicated on a national scale.
Unfortunately, the problem of litter is more prevalent in Scotland than it is in almost any developing country. Gerry and Zsuzsa Farrell of Leithers don't litter—among others—are running a determined campaign that is spreading the message about the problem and what we can all do to help. As they have highlighted, problems include general rubbish, dog fouling, overflowing bins, fly-tipping and takeaway cartons.
On tackling the problem, they are right to highlight the difference that comes from adopting a street and using a simple litter-picker. If locals make that effort for their communities and such initiatives spread across Scotland, we will see the lasting difference that we need. However, local authorities also have a large role to play. As well as clearing up reported messes, they must do their utmost to clear litter before it has to be reported and to improve standards of bin collection.
Addressing the problem is not just the duty of councils. The key thing is education. We have to educate people not to leave litter, and that education has to start in nurseries from the age of three or four. I heard recently that there are litter classes for primary school children in Germany and that all those children grow up with due regard to the problem of litter. The fines in Scotland seem to make no difference at all, even though they have recently been increased.
When we see people dropping litter, we might ask them to pick it up and say that they should not drop litter, but the problem is that some of them will just give the happy motoring sign or tell us to go and see a taxidermist. The public are therefore not willing to confront litter louts or litter droppers. Somebody phoned me the other day to say that he had seen bottles being thrown out of a car window, which is totally unacceptable. I suppose that all that people can do about that is honk their horn loudly to show disapproval, but that can lead to aggressive road rage.
Another problem is that, when grass verges are mown and cleared on country lanes, nobody stops to pick up the litter that has been left, so it blows all over the place. During the summer—this is what started me on this debate—I telephoned Edinburgh airport to say that there was an awful lot of litter on the approach road to the airport, which had been left after the grass was cut. I was told that it was the responsibility not of the airport but of the City of Edinburgh Council. I then phoned the council, which said that it was not the council’s responsibility but the airport’s. I do not know what happened, but the litter was cleared up quickly.
The solution is that the people who are employed to mow the lawns and tend to the verges could pick up the litter while they are at it. Surely it does not take much initiative for people to have a bag strapped around their waist for collecting what has been left, as is done in other countries.
Another problem is the collection of rubbish bags in the street. With the City of Edinburgh Council cutting back on collections, it is even more important that bins and boxes are gull proof and weather proof and are put out on the correct day. I do not think that we need litter wardens—however much we might want them—because the council would not be able to fund them. There is no way of controlling them anyway. If other countries do not have them, why do we need them? Why is it necessary in Scotland?
The problem of litter is becoming a scourge. We should tackle it head on, so what do we do about it? We have had debates on the issue before in the Parliament—I have looked them up. They just went on and on. As I said, I think that this is all about education. We have to educate people not to drop litter but to put it in their pockets until they get to a bin. It is rather like dealing with the problem of dog fouling.
It cannot be a coincidence that places such as Switzerland and Austria—and even, to a lesser extent, northern Italy—have a lot less of a litter problem than we do. It gives Scotland a bad name. All the tourist brochures extol the virtues of the Scottish countryside, but it takes just a few pieces of litter lying around to destroy that image.
I do not think that straight penalties are the answer, as they have to be enforced, and that seems also to be a problem. Penalties have to be enforceable. We need to shame people into not dropping litter and we need to encourage children from a young age not to drop any litter at all. Perhaps we could have more dedicated days in schools that encourage children to pick up litter. An initiative such as that might work.
We must remember that educational initiatives have to extend beyond schools into adult life. Promoting awareness of the scourge of litter and what we can do about it has to reach parents, dog walkers, takeaway owners and adults across Scotland. The many worthwhile local initiatives are excellent for raising awareness locally, but we have to make sure that their example is spread nationally through education.
Accordingly, I hope that the debate will play a small part in the collective effort that is needed to spread the benefits from local initiatives such as Leithers don’t litter around the country and to keep litter off our streets.
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