An adorable Scots tot has become a litter-fighting ‘superhero’ who has helped his dad lift 10,000kg of rubbish in just one year.
Little Lucio Scotland first began collecting discarded bottles and food packets from a park near his Aberdeen home when he was just 19-months-old.
Dressed in his finest Batman gear, the now two-year-old regularly joins his dad Mike on cleaning up missions while armed with his own mini rubbish picker stick.
His proud father told how the cute youngster is now a dab hand at recycling at home and even scolds family members for putting empty packets in the wrong bin.
The toddler is said to be passionate about the environment and animals after being inspired by dad who set up a group called community cleanUP a year ago.
Dad-of-two Mike explained: “I run a litter picking group and we just had our first year anniversary on January 20.
“Just outwith our new development is a beautiful part of the land which has been used as a dumping ground for decades.
“I set the group up by myself and then branched out by getting other locals involved. We’ve moved over 10,000kg of litter from one area and 2,500kg of metal from the river.
“That brought the otters up stream for the first time in 40 years. We basically turned that area into a hub where the community can go and enjoy.
“So obviously I collect litter all the time. But when we went to one of the local parks when Lucio was 19-months-old, he clocked a bottle on the ground.
“He looked at me and started pointing at it so I told him it was rubbish and it shouldn't be there.
“All of a sudden, he started wandering about picking stuff up and putting the rubbish in a black bag that we had with us.
“Whenever we go out now, he starts pointing at litter and says ‘rubbish bad’. I asked him where it should go and he replies ‘put it in the bin’.
“We’re now teaching him about recycling in the house and what things can be reused or thrown away.
“It’s brilliant. There’s never any litter in our house, there’s nothing on the floor. It all goes in the right bin.
“Sometimes he’ll tell his mum that she’s putting things in the wrong bin and that it should be recycled.”
Mike has also donated a further 30 miniature litter pickers to other youngsters in the area in a bid to educate them about the importance of keeping the countryside clean.
He said that Lucio, who picks his own outfits, can already explain what can happen if wildlife comes into contact with discarded rubbish despite his young age.
The 29-year-old explained: “The other day my missus asked him what he wanted to do that day and for the first time he said ‘I want to go on a litter pick with daddy’.
“He picks his own clothes and what he wants to wear for the day. We want to empower him and give him these choices.
“And that day he wanted to be Batman. So we went out with him dressed as a wee superhero and it was just ace.
“He’s a good little lad. He’s obsessed with the Avengers, Batman and Spiderman. But if you ask him, he’ll tell you Batman is his favourite. He just loves him.
“But he’s also proper geared up and appreciates the environment and animals. He can explain what happens if you drop litter and how it affects the animals.
“He says that if you pick up rubbish, it helps the ground breath and makes the animal be able to walk without getting tripped up.”
