Public Encouraged to Give Their Litter a Lift Home

Litter bins are being removed from lay-bys on trunk roads across the region as part of an initiative encouraging the public to take their rubbish home. Councillors at the Communities committee at the end of last year agreed to participate in Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Roadside Litter Campaign as a trial.

Roadside litter puts an unnecessary strain on all Councils tasked with cleaning it up. It is costly and dangerous to drivers and to maintenance staff, as well as detrimental to the local environmental quality, tourism and the economy.

Keep Scotland Beautiful launched their Roadside Litter Campaign in November 2016. The campaign aims to work with key partners to reduce roadside litter through awareness raising, behaviour change, improving the way that litter is managed and creating a positive impression of Scotland.

Layby bins will be replaced with signage requesting members of the public to take litter home. Where bins remain in laybys, bins will be signed to improve the bin visibility and have a positive impact on reducing litter.

Bins are now being removed from the A75, A76 and A77 and members of the public are being encouraged to take their rubbish home.

Chair of the Communities committee, Andy Ferguson, said “Dumfries and Galloway is a lovely part of the world and we don’t want our picturesque scenery blighted by litter.
“We were keen to support this campaign for the benefit of both locals and visitors and I am hopeful the colourful, imaginative and engaging signs encourage people to take their litter home.”
Vice Chair, John Martin, said “In Dumfries and Galloway, we may not experience the same levels of this type of anti-social behaviour as other parts of the country, but neither are we immune to it. I urge everyone to play their part in trying to tackle this problem.

“Raising awareness, understanding and a sense of community spirit is essential to changing behaviours. The best way to deal with littering along our main routes and carriageways is for those who are responsible to examine their own actions and then actually take responsibility for them – give their litter a lift and take it home. There really is no excuse for littering.”