Hansard

I thank everyone who signed my motion to secure debating time in the chamber. I also thank colleagues who will speak in the debate this evening.

There is no denying that Scotland has a massive societal problem when it comes to fly-tipping and littering—sadly, probably more so than most other countries in north-west Europe. Unsurprisingly, the majority of Scots believe that litter is in some way a huge problem in their own community. The negative impact of litter is well known. It is not only bad for the health of the environment but is proven to adversely affect people’s mental health.

Although we have seen promising measures delivered by the Scottish Government in recent years, such as the ban on single-use plastic items, which came into force on 1 June, it is obvious that littering remains a challenge as long as some people—a lot of people, unfortunately—thoughtlessly and selfishly throw things away without regard for others or the environment. According to Keep Scotland Beautiful, 50 tonnes of litter are abandoned on Scotland’s roadsides each month, and litter was recorded as being present on 83 per cent of motorways and A roads.

A high level of littering tends to lead to a vicious circle, with the detriment to the cleanliness of an area also having a significant and lasting impact. A landmark 1990 study showed that littering more than doubles in areas that already have litter, and some people who are usually inclined to bin their waste consider it acceptable to leave rubbish in areas that appear rundown and dirty.

I welcome recent cross-party efforts to reduce littering. I was glad to read that Murdo Fraser’s proposed member’s bill to reduce the incidence of fly-tipping is expected to be incorporated into a Government bill following a meeting with the minister.

Littering can be deterred to a modest degree by the threat and enforcement of fines. However, today I wish to focus on more positive solutions and the factors that Zero Waste Scotland identified as the most important in cutting the problem: a sense of personal responsibility; awareness of environmental consequences; and feelings of community.

The strategy is well tested in areas across the world. For instance, Rwanda has the national holiday of Umuganda, which takes place on the last Saturday of every month for nationwide community work from 8 am to 11 am, resulting in a notable improvement in the cleanliness of the country. In North America, the adopt-a-highway concept, which began in 1980s Texas, has been another huge success and has become national practice across much of the US and Canada.

The adopt-a-highway scheme started when volunteers rallied to keep the state’s highways clear of litter, with community service clubs adopting a 2-mile stretch of motorway and taking responsibility for its clean-up. As the idea spread, companies started taking responsibility for clean-ups in return for small advertising signs along the road to recognise their efforts. As of 2021, more than 120,000 California residents have participated in the initiative, removing litter and graffiti, planting trees and wildflowers and clearing vegetation along more than 15,000 shoulder miles of roadside.

That example shows that mobilising communities, community organisations and local businesses is a most powerful remedy to the social factors driving littering, along with anti-litter education and legislation. Such initiatives are more than just a temporary fix; they encourage respect for the environment by building a sense of civic pride and belonging.

I have supported and encouraged the road adoption locally for years, but sadly with little success. I was delighted, therefore, when in November last year, after I contacted North Ayrshire Council about road adoption—not for the first time—the council approved a similar adopt-a-spot initiative as part of its streetscene volunteering strategy, which followed the evaluation of an initial pilot involving a volunteer group in Irvine that was shown to have significant benefits.

Similar to schemes in North America, the programme has been designed to encourage and support individuals, local businesses, schools and other groups. Each carries out voluntary litter picks in a community space of their choice, as part of a sustained effort to engage local communities and bring about environmental improvements. The chosen spot will be in a mutually agreeable area within council ownership, such as a street, park, beach, path, business frontage or route to a local school. A simple application form is supplied electronically or by post for the volunteers to complete. It is then up to the council to review the spot and assess its appropriateness and safety. Once that has been agreed, volunteers informally adopt the spot while the local authority provides them with the appropriate equipment such as litter pickers, plastic bags, gloves and high-vis vests.

North Ayrshire Council also envisages using its mapping portal to record areas that are still available for adoption to help to co-ordinate the existing network of volunteers who regularly collect litter. The litter-picking work is recognised by the council through social media and an appropriate sign in the spot where the litter was picked to highlight that partnership work. The scheme will hopefully improve civic pride and empowerment in our communities and gradually lead to a change in littering behaviour. Businesses and charities can also participate and gain recognition by taking ownership of a spot.

I believe that similar initiatives could be piloted in other local authorities across Scotland, and it would be helpful if the Scottish Government could encourage them, not least by including provisions for such schemes in its national litter and fly-tipping strategy. I urge every member present to write to their respective councils and encourage them to pilot their own adopt-a-road initiatives.

It is clear that a range of actions will be necessary to tackle Scotland’s shameful litter problem. The adopt-a-road initiative has been trialled across North America for decades and has proven to be hugely successful in removing countless tonnes of roadside rubbish. Public acknowledgment of volunteers’ contributions helps to invoke people’s civic pride and creates a greater sense of personal responsibility, which are concepts that are found to be among the most effective ways of changing littering behaviours.

I hope that the successful pilot of adopt a spot in North Ayrshire will inspire more local authorities across Scotland to successfully take forward similar schemes.

I look forward to hearing other contributions to the debate.