Keep Scotland Beautiful has launched its My Beach Your Beach campaign, encouraging everyone to take better care of Scotland’s beaches and help improve bathing water quality and safety.
The campaign this summer focuses on seven of the country’s well-loved beaches, Ayr, Troon, Saltcoats/Ardrossan, Irvine, Fisherrow Sands, Portobello and Kinghorn.
All have all faced challenges in improving the quality of their bathing water and simple habits can help improve our bathing waters, including taking litter away and leaving the beach cleaner than you found it, bagging and binning dog poo to keep everyone safe and not feeding the gulls.
Key outcomes from last year’s campaign:
- 82% of beach goers would be willing to pick up litter when visiting the beach, to leave it cleaner than they found it.
- 43% of respondents would change habits in relation to what they flush down the toilet and pour down the drain to support bathing water improvements.
- 46% of beach users check the bathing water quality.
- 76% of those surveyed would like to see ongoing work.
The initiative runs alongside a range of efforts by the Scottish Government, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and Scottish Water to improve bathing waters across Scotland.
Heather Mclaughlin, campaigns co-ordinator with Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “With the opening of the bathing water season and following World Oceans Day (in June), beaches and the marine environment are more important than ever.
“We want to encourage everyone who goes to the beach, whether they live in an area or are visiting, to value and care for it. Waste from animals or litter is not just unsightly, it can have a negative impact on the environment. The message is simple, respect and enjoy our sand and sea this summer. It’s your beach.”
Find out more about the beaches selected and how you can get involved and contribute to the campaign.
See bathing water profiles of the beaches.
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