Four in five people across Scotland want more action to prevent litter

New data highlights public desire for practical action. The majority of people across Scotland want to see more action to prevent litter.

Eighty-two per cent of people state they want to see more work to prevent litter, while 81% agree they want to see increased action to clean up litter in their communities.

However, around nine in ten people still agree litter is a problem across the country while there is still a stark difference in perceptions of litter when comparing our most deprived and affluent communities or our urban and rural settings.

The survey, a snapshot of public perception and attitudes conducted by the Diffley Partnership annually, highlights a trend across recent years of a combination of a collective acknowledgement of the litter emergency and a desire for action to address the issue.

Positively, there is evidence that action is being taken both by people across Scotland and by government to tackle our litter problem. More than 45,000 people took part in Spring Clean Scotland 2024 while the Scottish Government’s ban on the sale of single-use vapes, the fastest growing litter item, will be banned on 1 April 2025.

Keep Scotland Beautiful has made real progress with a number of actions outlined in Scotland’s National Litter and Flytipping Strategy (NLFS), including – but not limited to – the creation of an online Community Litter Hub and a litter intervention to tackle on-the-go food and drink packaging and our single-use consumption habits.

Barry Fisher, Chief Executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said:

“Our fourth Scottish Litter Survey repeats a trend we have seen in recent years: recognising the litter emergency and the need for action to tackle the issue."

“We must remain positive and continue playing our small but significant part to address our country’s problem with litter. We know there is such a strong desire for positive change and we are moving forward and significant strides are being made to seriously tackle litter."

“From the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy to key policies such as the Deposit Return Scheme, the Circular Economy Bill and Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging coming into play over the years to come, there is plenty for us to be optimistic about."

“Ongoing investment is required to support the regional and local community action that people are calling for, and it is vital that we capitalise on our shared desire for positive change. Collectively, we can keep Scotland beautiful. Let’s take positive actions, let’s pull together in the same direction and let’s ensure the litter emergency is an issue we deal with so future generations don’t have to.”

Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin said:

“Scotland is a beautiful country and we all have a responsibility to keep it that way. It is welcome that the majority of people across the country are keen to take action on litter, reflecting the Scottish Government’s wish for a litter free Scotland."

"We are determined to tackle the serious environmental and economic impacts that litter and flytipping causes. Findings from the review will inform future work on enforcement as we continue to deliver on actions set out within the 2023 National Litter and Flytipping Strategy and year one Action Plan. We have published an update on the work undertaken in year 1 and the actions that will be delivered in year 2 and thank our delivery partners, including Keep Scotland Beautiful, for their continued support.”

There are plenty of ways for everyone to get involved in tackling the litter emergency. Help Keep Scotland Beautiful tackle marine litter by completing an Upstream Battle® survey or visit the Community Litter Hub for support to take action in your community.

Preparation for Spring Clean 2025 is well underway but financial support is needed to make it bigger than ever and support Scotland’s appetite for litter action. Get involved now.

The 2024 Scottish Litter Survey can be found here.