Elgin’s Great Big Clean – Strategy
Litter Pick-ups
 Sold on CV-building (care for environment, responsible citizen, teamwork, effort),
fresh air, exercise, sense of achievement & making a genuine difference (much
worse if all left alone & only part of wider solutions to the problem)
 One key to battling poor mental health is taking control & actually going to together
to change our world (then keeping on the move!) – helps give perspective i.e. I
cannot make everything better, but I can make an impact right here!
 Educating public about anti-litter strategy, so not just appearing piecemeal,
scattered efforts
 Going to doors, listening to concerns, seeking to sign-up more people to help (in
whatever ways possible) – Will you please take this bag? May I tell you about litter,
how you can help & give you leaflet? Play to team’s strengths so some will focus on
pick-up, others on communicating (training – ask learners to hit me with their best
arguments & provide counters – do you want to live in hell?1)…
 Remember this is a campaign & marathon, not a sprint! Attitudes take time to
change (i.e. smoking)
 Adding ‘fun’ elements i.e. sponsorship from local businesses of food for BBQ (i.e.
butcher supplies meat, baker with buns, supermarkets with juice & crisps – only for
those who actually help) with DJ music (“Wave” radio!)
 Provide “Litter Warrior” stickers (already purchased & designed for EGBC)
 Opening-up to suggestions & ideas for improvement – enable as many people as
possible to feel ownership of what happens
 Widening out projects i.e. Cooper Park Pond cleansed (benefit “punting” business)
 Make use of existing websites i.e. www.cleanupbritain.org (pledge support, follow on
Twitter, see celebrity endorsements), www.litteraction.org.uk/elgins-great-big-clean
(follow progress, post pictures, be informed about what is happening)2
Education
 Part of Core Skills Communication curriculum at Moray College
 Use creativity of students to publicise message & target their peer group (i.e. video
with snapshots of litter problem, brief comments from local residents (especially an
elderly, vulnerable grannie) about how mess makes them feel)
 www.earthtime.co.uk – seek more business sponsorship
 Propose part of RME in Secondary School – not just knowing but doing the right
thing; judged by our actions, not what we say we “believe” (mere intellectual assent)
 Curriculum for Excellence – prove you are “responsible citizens”
 Anti-litter posters in Primary Schools as part of local competitions
 Ask schools how else they can communicate the message – especially encouraging
young people to connect with & appreciate their environment
 Creating supervised community gardens & allotments where people, especially
those without much space, can cultivate a patch of land (see Horticulture at MC)
One of the words Jesus uses to describe “hell” is “Gehenna”, which was literally a disgusting rubbish dump outside Jerusalem.
Increasingly in Christian theology, the Bible is being better understood as teaching (from Adam) “good stewardship” (looking after the
planet), which Christ then came to redeem and renew, a mission that those who follow Him are called to continue
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Beware – there are far too many websites already that seem to be duplicating each other & wasting efforts
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Incentives
 Possible campaign for compulsory refundable deposits on drinks bottles and cans –
helps conserve resources that will be increasingly valuable & motivate recycling
(www.thepetitionsite.com/479/930/015/irn-bru-style-refundable-deposit-for-all-bottles-canswhether-plastic-or-glass-aluminium-or-tin/)
 ZWS: £900K available for “recycling rewards” - www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/
content/back-future-%C2%A3900000-fund-trial-recycling-rewards
 Much-enhanced supermarket recycling centres: collaborate with Local Council &
charities to take in unwanted books, clothes, recyclables (especially paper) in exchange for
vouchers to spend in store (or “green” Clubcard points)3
 Use recently created Local Council “volunteering” certificates to formally recognise &
accredit contributions of those help with litter pick-ups (boost to CVs)
Law - Fixed Penalty Notice
 Campaign to change law, so anyone over 12 can be fined for dropping litter (or their legal
guardian) – there is surely no excuse above this age & too many teenagers are hiding
behind the loopholes
 Not an expert, so question for Police & Local Authority: could the definition of “authorised
officers” (i.e. those acting on behalf of a litter authority) possibly be broadened out and
include more individuals?
 As with “speeding”, focus detective work on the problem for a limited period, using
cameras & undercover officers to catch people red-handed; make their offence highprofile (publicise through Facebook, Twitter, MFR, schools, Colleges, etc.) & put more fear
into those who think they can get away with breaking the law
 Possibly publicise good and bad examples of shops who keep their exteriors clean, as well
as chasing up those with “significant accumulations of litter”; help businesses to see
importance of tidiness for attracting customers & tourists
Sponsor a Bin
 See proposal: create united front against litter that makes this anti-social action clearly
unacceptable & inexcusable with all local groups invited to participate
 Combine with anti-litter posters or slogans for maximum effect
 Sell to businesses & organisations as enhancing their brand
 Ideally design & build locally, so customised for specific challenges, including sea gulls
(sturdy flap) & narrow pavements (alternate design of lamp-post bin)
 Possibly partner with CADD courses at Moray College – give specific brief & they will
return with a range of exciting, aesthetically-pleasing and practical options
 Parallel with dog poo receptacles – simple solutions surprisingly effective (note example
in Lossiemouth, recently reported in Northern Scot, of couple with dog who go out pickingup other people’s “poo” (commended by Local Councillor)
 Creating network of volunteers to empty waste into household green bins for general
waste collection – each offering what they can (i.e. bin space or time)
 “Zero Waste Scotland” provides “funding and support to locally-driven initiatives including
prevention activity and adopting new approaches”…?
 Specifically: £500K for “on-the-go” recycling initiatives - www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/
content/%C2%A3500000-boost-more-recycling-bins-scotland%E2%80%99s-public-places
 Crowdsourcing to raise capital for investment and publicise project - www.peoplefund.it/
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Stations manned by real people, thus preventing fraud & keeping process simple; more environmentally friendly as customers going to
supermarkets anyway (reducing collections); position collection points more prominently in stores & this boosts their brand with
community; charities chosen by vote of those who actually donate (proportional) but, of course, still possible to give direct to local stores
(with bonus of Gift Aid)
Networking
 Keep widening the net to include as many different people and communities as possible,
so ideas, action & results multiply
 Have faith that individuals, properly engaged & equipped, can make a real difference
 Don’t offer payment for services (i.e. bin design), unless essential & unavoidable; always
stress the benefits for everyone of a cleaner city
Sponsor a Roundabout?
 Utilise corporate funds to clean-up and maintain roundabouts in Elgin