A campaign to cut down on litter at lochside beauty spots is now giving people the opportunity to ‘adopt’ a bin on the Bonnie Banks.
Following the huge success of the A82 Loch Lomondside layby litter bin scheme, piloted by conservation charity Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs last summer, a new sponsorship model has been introduced.
It’s hoped the scheme will crackdown on littering across the national park, which has blighted communities in previous years.
The scheme is being coordinated by the Friends, but now enjoys the financial backing of nine local tourism businesses, Luss Estates, the National Park Authority, Argyll and Bute Council and ENVA, the charity’s waste disposal and recycling partner.
The 20 bin scheme costs £26,000 annually to run, with twice-weekly lifts during busy holiday periods and once weekly collections at quieter times.
During the pilot nine months more than 25 tonnes of litter was collected, with 97 percent of this recycled.
Along with other measures, the scheme is helping to transform the overall appearance of the busy 13 mile tourist corridor between Arden and Tarbet on the lochside.
Friends of Loch Lomond estimate that more than 10,000 bags of litter will be removed from the lochside during the first full year of the Adopt a Bonnie Banks Bin Scheme.
James Fraser, chair of the Friends said: “We were convinced the introduction of bins in busy lochside laybys with regular emptying and monitoring would greatly improve the situation and this has proved to be the case with more visitors now treating the area with more respect and helping to keep the bonnie banks almost litter free.
“We are delighted that so many partners have come on board to sponsor bins and ensure the continuing success of the bin scheme.
“It is to the great credit of local tourism business owners that they have stepped in to help with funding at a time that they are in an early stage of business recovery, following the loss of substantial trading income due to Covid-19.”
Sir Malcolm Colquhoun, of Luss Estates, said: “When I made a plea early last year for urgent action to be taken to tackle the scourge of litter on the lochside, and in particular along the A82, I hadn’t anticipated the Friends would rise to the challenge and step in with the delivery of such a successful
pilot bin project that has exceeded expectations.”
National Park Authority Chief Executive, Gordon Watson added: “We welcome this initiative which is helping bring about a truly collaborative approach to tackling an issue that continues to plague our busiest tourist route.
“As well as providing funding to support the Friends’ initiative, we have recruited additional seasonal environment officers, invested in more effective bins at our sites and will undertake regular litter picks at camping permit areas and car parks beside the loch.
“We will also continue our high profile litter campaigns as part of the wider effort to get on top of the litter problem and encourage people to respect the special scenic and landscape qualities of our national park.”
