In 2002 Falkirk Council decided that a comprehensive ‘Litter Strategy’ was required to tackle the problem of litter in a ‘holistic’ way.
In February 2003 we formally launched the Strategy, which aims to reduce littering in three main ways:
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By raising awareness of the problem through campaigns and a process of community education
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By supplementing this with a law enforcement deterrent
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By continuously striving to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the street cleansing service
The Litter Strategy is underpinned by a number of principles, by far the most important of which is prevention. The Strategy recognises that no matter how well and how quickly we clear up the mess caused by littering, the only sustainable solution is to find ways of preventing littering in the first place.
Another fundamental principle of the Strategy is partnership working. Litter is everyone’s problem. We need the support of a wide range of people, businesses, schools, community organisations and other agencies if we are to achieve a change in the behaviour of those responsible of littering.
We are also committed to measuring our performance and have set ourselves targets to improve the cleanliness of local communities. The results of our cleanliness surveys are reported to the Scottish Executive and are included among the key environmental indicators for Sustainable Falkirk.
Our campaign ‘Litter: There’s No Excuse’ has been running since April 2004. We are using a wide range of media to ensure our message reaches as many people as possible – you may have seen our adverts and posters on Council vehicles, on litter bins, in the cinema or your local library.
Other ‘strands’ of the campaign focus on issues such as dog fouling, flytipping (illegal dumping) and, most recently, roadside litter.
This website aims to provide you with all the information and advice you may need about the ‘Litter Strategy’. We hope it will also encourage you, your school, your business or your community to get actively involved in our campaign against litter.