A new litter strategy from the Scottish government includes tougher penalties for fly-tipping and new authority to fine drivers who throw trash from cars.
There will be a £200 increase to the fly-tipping fine. .
Plans that offer substitutes for single-use items like coffee cups will also receive new support. .
Lorna Slater, minister for the circular economy, said it was a part of a larger set of steps to address Scotland's "throwaway culture.".
Scots spend more than £280 million annually cleaning up litter, which environmental activists claim is at an all-time high.
The "National Litter and Fly Tipping Strategy," which has a six-year time frame, outlines how communities, businesses, and local governments can collaborate to bring about change.
It includes an action plan of actions that the Scottish government and partner organizations are to take during the first year.
Fly-tipping fines will increase to £500 as part of a major initiative to help private landowners prevent trash from being dumped on their property. Support will also be provided, including funding for pilot projects.
Additionally, there will be a dedicated Sepa operation to deal with rogue operators as well as increased action to find flytippers, particularly unregistered waste carriers advertising online.
The plan also grants authorities new authority to fine a vehicle's registered owner for littering.
In order to help community organizations and other local businesses address the litter problem, a new online hub will also be launched.
The plan was created in collaboration with environmental organization Sepa, Zero Waste Scotland, and Keep Scotland Beautiful.
Although the Keep Scotland Beautiful CEO, Barry Fisher, acknowledged that Scotland was currently dealing with "a number of challenges which make this unrealistic at this time," he acknowledged that the strategy had not met all of their demands. .
Nevertheless, it is a positive start, and we are now appealing to everyone to do their part. He continued, "We realize that the strategy won't immediately reverse the decline we have recorded in cleanliness levels across Scotland. ".
The plan's main theme, according to minister of the circular economy Lorna Slater, is "enforcement.".
"The strategy sets out robust commitments, including raising fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping to £500 and considering raising fines further if required," she continued.
"It is a part of a broader package of measures to address Scotland's throwaway culture, including becoming the first country in the UK to ban some of the most problematic single-use plastics, a commitment to impose a fee on single-use cups, the implementation of a Deposit Return Scheme, and reforming extended producer responsibility for packaging.
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