Scotland's litter problem making people 'feel unsafe and shamed'

The scale of Scotland’s growing litter problem and the toll it takes on how people feel about their communities has been laid bare by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful.

Speaking at the charity’s annual networking seminar in Glasgow, the organisation unveiled the findings of two major reports and described the statistics as “too important to ignore.”

A public perception survey carried out by the Diffley Partnership revealed that:

73% of people agree litter makes spaces unsafe for children;
67% feel litter makes them embarrassed about their neighbourhood; and
88% believe litter is a problem across Scotland.

Keep Scotland Beautiful published data from the country’s only long-term litter survey, which showed that fewer than 30% of sites visited by surveyors were completely litter-free. One in twelve was found to be significantly polluted.

The findings show Scotland’s least affluent communities and urban areas are once again the most affected by litter and poor local environmental quality.

Barry Fisher, chief executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Litter continues to be a dirty topic. Our data provides clear and unambiguous evidence that people in Scotland believe litter makes them feel embarrassed and unsafe, damages the reputation of local areas and leads to other anti-social behaviours, in addition to damaging nature and our environment.

“While it is concerning that people feel litter is more common this year than last, our research continues to show strong support for preventative measures to tackle this issue, demonstrating the public desire for us to call for greater, more urgent funding and action to tackle Scotland’s litter emergency as we approach the 2026 Scottish election and our flagship mass litter pick – Spring Clean.

“We claim to be a proud nation. The way we treat our country suggests otherwise. We must prioritise the prevention and eradication of litter, and we will continue to urge national and local government and industry to work with us to create a future where litter-free spaces are the norm, rather than the exception.”

Broadcaster and charity ambassador Stephen Jardine also urged greater action, saying the issue of litter strikes at the heart of community pride and quality of life.

He said: “As I travel the country listening to people debate the issues affecting Scotland and beyond it’s clear that underlying the topical issues of health care and the cost-of-living crisis, the quality of people’s communities’ matter to them.

“Litter, dog fouling, graffiti and flytipping are all indicators of a poor-quality environment – complaints about these crimes are common, they rumble on in daily conversations, but the seriousness of the wider impacts are often overlooked.

“Keep Scotland Beautiful has revealed just how much good quality local environments matter to people – now we need to listen and ensure tackling litter achieves the priority it deserves.”

Keep Scotland Beautiful says it will continue to campaign for stronger national leadership and funding to address what it calls “Scotland’s litter emergency.”