Forth Valley College teams up with environmental charity to combat fast food litter

Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful is working with Forth Valley College and Falkirk Council to cut down on the litter caused by the packaging.

Forth Valley College students and employees have been asked to consider how they can help reduce the "on-the-go” food and drink litter which accounts for 63 per cent of all litter counted across the college’s three campuses.

To reduce on-the-go food and drink litter and improve recycling, street bins near the three campuses have been wrapped with engaging messaging. A billboard and targeted digital online advertising will also be deployed, and increased recycling provision will be introduced on-campus during a seven-week campaign targeting Forth Valley College students and staff and the wider community until the end of March.

Students and staff were asked for their views earlier this year and 78 per cent confirmed they enjoy at least one item of on-the-go food or drink each week.

Barry Fisher, Keep Scotland Beautiful chief executive, said: “We all enjoy on-the-go food and drink whether it is a sandwich, a bag of crisps, a chocolate bar or a can of soft drink.

"A quarter of litter recorded in our national surveys comes from food and drink packaging and the Scottish Litter Survey found 90% of people agree that litter is a problem across our country.

“So, it is vital that we encourage everyone to consider what they do with their packaging. Only by working in collaboration with national and local government, businesses and communities will we be able to test campaign messages and evaluate their success.

“Ultimately, we want to see people recycling where possible, but at the very least we need everyone to bin their waste and not to drop or chuck it – further deepening Scotland’s litter emergency.”

Forth Valley College principal Kenny MacInnes added: “We are delighted to be helping Keep Scotland Beautiful with their survey and their litter and recycling intervention delivery plan.

"This will raise awareness of the proper way to recycle among young people in the Forth Valley area, and where better to do that than in Forth Valley College.”