Tipping point as littering louts turn Scotland into a bin

Wendy Murray and fellow volunteers from East Haven Together pick up litter dropped on the beach

Post-lockdown litter louts have been branded a public health crisis by the country’s leading environmental campaign group. Hundreds of tonnes of litter have been dumped across Scotland since lockdown restrictions began to be lifted last month. Glasgow City Council collected more than 40 tonnes of waste left by revellers in Kelvinrove Park and Glasgow Green in just one weekend. Beauty spots and beaches have also been strewn with waste by people enjoying barbecues and picnics.

Yesterday the littering was described by campaigners as a danger to public health as people were urged to stop polluting parks and countryside. Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “The reports of extensive littering on our parks, beaches and beauty spots are shameful. A few selfish people can endanger the health and safety of many.”

“People who litter are committing a criminal offence, risking our safety and polluting our environment. There are no excuses.” Social media has been flooded with pictures of people partying and enjoying the summer weather outdoors.

National parks like Loch Lomond and the Trossachs were packed with people, and locals complained that daytrippers were even leaving human waste. Glasgow City Council had emptied the Kelvingrove Park’s 40,000-litre bin capacity ahead of one sunny weekend but pictures showed huge amounts of mess left on the grass. Glasgow City Council said: “It was obvious that some people had not made the effort to dispose of their waste appropriately.” An unofficial rave – like those seen in England – also saw quantities of waste left on the outskirts of Glasgow which had to be cleared.

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Mhairi Edwards