A special taskforce, comprising several community groups, has been established to take out the trash in Moray.
The Moray Litter Forum has been formed to encourage residents to take pride in their communities and make those who drop their rubbish and fly-tip think twice about their actions.
The region’s MSP, Richard Lochhead, is leading the crusade and brought together several local organisations to hammer out a way forward this week.
Representatives from Moray Council, the Keep Scotland Beautiful environmental charity, the Crown Estate and the Forestry Commission all gathered in Lhanbryde and agreed to support the initiative.
During the meeting, the stakeholders identified a number of key issues which need to be tackled to address Moray’s refuse problem.
The forum’s ultimate aim is to co-ordinate efforts to eradicate litter across the region’s communities, by clearing spots where rubbish is known to accumulate.
Mr Lochhead said: “Moray is a beautiful place, but it can often be spoiled by people littering in streets, beaches and other beauty spots.
“I know that many constituents are incredibly fed up of others making their communities look untidy.
“I brought everyone together, so we can identify some of the key challenges we have, with the hope that we could put a coherent plan in place to tackle the problem.”
Elgin Community Council has pledged to back the scheme and join the campaign.
Group chairman Alistair Kennedy said: “Having listened to complaints and been involved in numerous litter picks, I welcome this proposal for a Moray-wide Litter Forum.
“If we wish to encourage civic pride and keep Moray tidy to encourage visitors, then creating a forum to take this forward will hopefully be a positive first step in achieving that goal.
“Tourism is becoming a more and more important industry to this area.”
