Food and drink litter and waste prevention innovation showcased

Food and drink litter and waste prevention innovation showcased On St Andrew’s Day, jointly with Hubbub,  we hosted an event in Edinburgh to showcase innovations in food and drink litter and waste prevention. Delegates from the public sector, business community, national and local government gathered together to reflect on some of the innovative and exciting work which we have delivered in partnership with Hubbub in Scotland over the last year to tackle litter and waste associated with consumption of food and drink on the go. With the Circular Economy Bill currently being considered by the Scottish Parliament ahead of the publication of a draft route map, and delivery underway on the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy we were delighted to be joined by Lorna Salter MSP, Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity. Three interventions that have been jointly delivered covering tackling litter and littering behaviour, promoting recycling and encouraging and facilitating reuse were presented including: Cup Movement® in the Highlands made possible by the Bring it Back Fund Take it Back in Dundee and Glasgow Tidy roadsides in Glasgow Paul Wallace, our Campaigns and Social Innovation Manager , said: “Tackling unsustainable consumption, particularly in relation to food and drink on the go, and the litter and waste it generates, is vital to meeting the challenges of the Litter Emergency.  Our data highlights that 9 in 10 people think litter is a problem across Scotland with 39% believing that litter in general has become more common in their local area in the past 12 months. “There is clear demand from people to address litter, and with packaging being highly visible items – it is important that we continue to innovate to inspire behaviour change.” As we look towards 2024 we are keen to build on our learning from these campaigns and interventions. We have already started speaking to a range of partners, including the National Cup Recycling Scheme (NCRS) and local authorities about potential interventions focused on litter, recycling and reuse across Scotland to tackle the litter emergency. Kirsty Alexander, Creative Partner at Hubbub UK , said: “Over the past year we have enjoyed collaborating with Keep Scotland Beautiful on a range of interventions to tackle litter and littering behaviour, promote recycling and encourage and facilitate reuse. “We have learned lots, have recorded positive changes and are very much looking forward to a continuing collaboration to ensure that we initiate positive action that’s good for the environment, and for everyone.” If you would like to find out more about how you can get involved or support us, please get in touch. Together we can keep Scotland beautiful. 30 November 2023 Tags