Drive through customers in Inverness urged to take coronavirus lockdown litter home in joint campaign by Keep Scotland Beautiful, McDonald's and Costa
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Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful has joined forces with Costa and McDonald’s to encourage their customers to help prevent lockdown litter by doing the right thing and putting takeaway rubbish in a bin or taking it home.
In recent years the charity's annual litter surveys have highlighted that the throw-away society has resulted in an increase in litter nationally.
Through its Clean Up Scotland campaign it has been working with communities, schools, local authorities and businesses to try and change littering behaviours.
Lockdown gave Scotland a brief break from this trend as people reconnected with their local places as they walked or cycled as part of their daily exercise.
But, as lockdown restrictions have eased it has seen evidence of "selfish and irresponsible" behaviour by those who consume food and drink on-the-go and throw away their waste.
Both Costa and McDonald’s are ideally placed to engage with their customers and help them to consider how they can dispose of their rubbish responsibly.
During July more than 100 McDonald’s and Costa drive thru restaurants in Scotland, including branches in Inverness, will display campaign material urging customers not to chuck their litter, but to "give it a lift" and take it home.
Paul Wallace, campaign and social innovation manager at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Images of litter left strewn by our roadsides, and spoiling our parks, beaches and beauty spots have upset people across Scotland in recent weeks, with many taking to social media to share their disgust.
“By joining us in calling for their customers to do the right thing and bin their litter or take it home, Costa and McDonald’s are taking an important step towards nudging people to collectively tackle litter at source and protect the places that matter to us all."
A spokesman for Costa Coffee said: “Costa Coffee is proud to partner with Keep Scotland Beautiful to remind consumers to dispose of their litter responsibly.
"We continually strive to serve the communities in which we operate, so in order to protect and preserve our local environments, we want to remind people to take their litter home with them.
"We hope the simple messages of the campaign will encourage everyone to do the right thing when they finish enjoying their favourite Costa Coffee.”
Helen McFarlane, McDonald’s senior sustainability consultant, said: “We are proud that for over 35 years McDonald’s restaurant teams have collected litter in our local communities.
"Our people walk around 5,000 miles every year collecting all litter, not just McDonald’s branded packaging. It is deeply disappointing to see a minority of our customers disposing of their rubbish so irresponsibly by littering.
"Over the last few months we have seen how important it is that we look after each other, and our natural environment – we want our customers to help us with that.
"We are pleased to partner with Keep Scotland Beautiful on this campaign to remind our customers that whilst our dining areas remain closed, they should follow the clear message, to take their litter home.”
