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As part of the ongoing works to maintain our high standards of cleanliness, The Moray Council are seeking volunteers to take part in this years National Spring Clean event. The event is run in April each year with volunteers from Community Councils, Schools, Student Groups, Youth Groups, Businesses, Guide/Scout troops and BB Companies, Environmental Trusts, Council Staff, Churches and others help to clean up their local area. Public gardens, school grounds, woodlands, nature reserves, river banks, loch-sides, beaches, coastal paths, country parks, villages, city centres and road verges have all benefited from a real spring clean - just in time for the summer. Participation in the clean up is a useful event towards Eco Schools and Eco Congregation awards, Scout Community Challenge awards and makes an important contribution to the National Agreements set by the Scottish Government for Cleaner and Greener Communities.
The Moray Council and Keep Scotland Beautiful are able to provide: - Assistance with planning and promotion
- Advice on staying safe
- Safety bibs
- Bags
- Gloves
- Collection of items (by agreement at appropriate collection points)
- Safe disposal of litter/waste collected
If you would like to organise an event and claim a free clean up kit please visit www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/springclean or, use the online order by visiting www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/cleanupkits alternatively, you can phone Keep Scotland Beautiful on 01786 468242 to place your order. Moray is currently one of the cleanest counties in Scotland with regard to street cleansing which is testament to the efforts made by so many. However, I am sure that with the willingness and support of all members of the community the National Spring Clean will play an invaluable part in enhancing the natural beauty of the county and its aesthetic appeal to residents and visitors in 2009 and beyond. I have taken the liberty of citing some interesting facts along with this letter for your perusal and would like to take this opportunity to thank you in anticipation of your support. If however, you would like to discuss anything related to the Spring Clean then please dont hesitate to contact 01343 557045. Litter - Litter makes an area look dirty and uncared for and attracts more litter. Littered areas are not pleasant to be in and are less likely to be used by people. In contrast, people are more reluctant to litter clean areas;
- Every day UK smokers throw away about 200 million butts;
- Cigarette butts are made of cellulose acetate, which takes 12 years to biodegrade Cigarette butts leak toxins that contaminate water and harm marine life and the environment Cigarette filters have been found in the stomachs of fish, birds, whales and other marine creatures, who mistake them for food Cigarette associated litter amounts for 70% - 90% of all litter in our Town Centres;
- Nationally, seven out of 10 items of litter are food related;
- The rat population has boomed to 60m due to the huge amounts of litter around. This means there are now almost as many rats as people in the UK;
- Litter, such as cigarette butts, plastic bags and other plastics, harms animal and marine life in a variety of ways such as water pollution, when these items are mistaken for food and when creatures get caught up in plastics and get strangled. It is estimated that every year over 1 million seabirds and 100,000 turtles and sea mammals die of litter related causes;
- Over 373,000 pieces of litter were found on beaches in the UK in 2006 - equivalent to 1,989 items per kilometre - the Marine Conservation Society reports a 90 per cent increase in beach litter since 2004;
Littered items are a lost resource. When things that could otherwise be recycled, like PET, glass bottles and paper, are littered, they do not end up in the recycling stream. Fly Tipping - 81% of Fly Tipping incidents in Moray involve waste from a household source;
- 12.5% of Fly Tipping incidents in Moray are single items;
- 12.5% of Fly Tipping incidents in Moray are smaller than a car boot;
- 8% of Fly Tipping incidents in Moray are "white goods" from household source these can currently be collected free of charge by the Council;
- Nearly 10% of Fly Tipping incidents are on private land;
- 52% of Fly Tipping in Moray occurs on roadsides, footpaths and bridleways;
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