Flingin’s mingin - drive your “carbage” home

18th August 2013

With a recent survey revealing an average of seven bottles and cans on every 100 metres of Scotland’s roads, “Flingin’s mingin so drive your carbage home” is the message being sent out to those who throw rubbish out of cars and trains.

The Highland Council is encouraging a clear up and clamp down on litter on Scotland’s transport network as part of the Litter Week of Action, from 19th - 25th August, organised by Zero Waste Scotland.

Councillor, Graham Phillips, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Transport, Environment and Community Services Committee, said: “Clearing up litter from our roads and verges costs local authorities and other transport bodies a fortune, and ultimately it's the public that foots the bill. It’s a blight which contributes to punctures and can cause accidents not to mention the fact that clearing it from our road and rail sides is a hazardous task. It also has a very negative impact on our beautiful countryside so the message we are promoting is for drivers and car passengers to take their rubbish home with them to recycle or dispose of properly.”

The week of action follows the launch of a new consultation from the Scottish Government which intends to bring forward a final National Litter Strategy early in 2014. The “Towards a Litter Free Scotland” consultation will run until 27 September.

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said: “It is shocking that on average there are four plastic bottles and three drinks cans littered on every 100 metres of our major roads in Scotland. Littering is unacceptable – and in the Year of Natural Scotland and as we approach 2014 when we welcome the world to Scotland, it’s important that we show our country at its best. We have set out action to tackle Scotland’s litter problem in our National Litter Strategy consultation and are asking people to have their say on this during the summer.

“This Litter Week of Action is a great opportunity to highlight this issue and I’d encourage people to work together by taking action during the week so that we can show that littering is not tolerated here.”

Iain Gulland, Director, Zero Waste Scotland added: “Litter on the road and in transport hubs doesn’t just look bad, it’s also a waste of valuable resources. Commonly littered items like drinks bottles and cans could be recycled and help to boost the economy.

“I would urge everyone to get involved in this great week of planned activity and help to spread the message that throwing litter from vehicles or public transport is not acceptable.”