An urgent crackdown is needed to stop Scotland becoming a dumping ground for fly-tippers.
The closure of dumps during the pandemic led to thousands of tons of waste being dumped on country lanes – and the bad habit has showed no signs of stopping.
An alliance of environmental and rural groups, along with police, are now demanding a strategy that will stop dumping from happening in the first place, rather than having to trace and remove the filthy waste.
The group has penned a letter to Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham to demand action, writing: “Every week that passes by without serious action is another week of our beautiful country being used as a dumping ground.
“We believe by dealing with fly-tipping more effectively there are significant benefits for Scotland’s economy – as well as for society and the environment – which as we recover from a global pandemic could not be more important.
“With Scotland perceived as leading the way on a range of environmental issues, we believe 2020 should be the year we must start to address this issue.”
The group unites Woodland Trust Scotland, Scottish Land & Estates, NFU Scotland and Keep Scotland Beautiful with Police Scotland’s national rural crime coordinator.
They call for a coordinated strategic national strategy to be drawn up, with a greater use of data to pinpoint hotspots and tailor local responses.
In the letter, the organisations state: “Scotland’s beautiful countryside continues to be blighted by rubbish on a daily basis and the negative impact this is having is significant.
“We know that fly-tipping can cause problems to the natural, social and economic environment, including harm to wildlife and livestock, disease transmission, soil contamination and substantial clear-up costs.
“We believe a new approach is needed to turn the tables on this crime for good.
“With Scotland expected to host the UN Climate Change Conference in 2021, we believe this offers a unique catalyst for action.”
