Top of the drops

SCOTLAND has made some headway since introducing the 5p carrier bag charge, but our streets are still awash with litter.

Here’s a list of the five most commonly littered items:

1. CIGARETTE ENDS

A decline in the popularity of smoking has led to fewer cars having built-in ash trays but this means they’re more likely to get flung out the window instead. Surveys show that just under half of the nation’s streets have some form of smokingrelated litter on them including cigarette butts, matches and packaging. In towns and cities, this figure rises to 70%.

2. CHEWING GUM

It doesn’t degrade, ever. As well as downgrading the appearance of an area, chewing gum is the most difficult type of litter to deal with. Its stickiness means expensive techniques like jet-washing and steam-cleaning have to be used to remove it.

3. DRINK CANS, CUPS AND BOTTLES

Schemes offering an incentive for recycling drinks containers have been explored in Scotland in the past and boy, we could certainly use them. The Scottish Government estimates that for every 100 metres of Scotland’s motorways and trunk roads, there are four empty plastic bottles and three drinks cans.

4. FAST FOOD PACKAGING

As a nation, we’re partial to a Big Mac or a Whopper and you only need to look at the ground in some areas to see this. Bags, containers, sweetie wrappers, crisp packets and food waste all come under this category. As well as having a major effect on the quality of life of local residents, it can be dangerous for wildlife and pets and can attract rodents.

5. SCRATCH CARDS

It seems we don’t handle losing very well as disposing of a losing scratch card is often too much to bear. Finding a disposed card of any value is extremely rare!