A new campaign has been established in Craigmillar incorporating a new collaboration with the internationally renowned charity, Paws on Plastic.
Keep Craigmillar Clean will bring together locals, community groups (some of which are already tackling litter problems) and volunteers, all in a bid to increase pride in the area.
And the new partnership between The City of Edinburgh Council, Paws on Plastic and The Craigmillar and Niddrie Litter Busters is also intended to help Edinburgh retain its high cleanliness scores.
The city’s scores on LEAMS (Local Environmental Audit and Management) Scores in Edinburgh show improvement in the last five years have risen. A total of 82.2% of streets surveyed were noted as clean in 2021/22, and this number increased to 89.2% in 2024/25.
There is a Big Spring Clean organised on 12 April when everyone is invited to get involved – details are available on the new community diary.
The partnership is intended to encourage even more local activity, including a repeat of the Looney Clean Up which takes place on New Year’s Day, organised by the Craigmillar and Niddrie Litter Busters.
Local campaigner Miranda Baird established the Litter Busters. She said: “As a local group we are active citywide and our New Year clean-up in particular has attracted a lot of attention, so we’re aiming to build on that success and advocate a citywide clean-up for the start of next year.
“Together, these two campaigns aim to build on what’s already being achieved to strengthen community pride in Craigmillar and beyond while supporting a wider effort to reduce the blight caused by litter.”
Miranda said that she and her volunteers work on keeping the area “tidy and beautiful”. She explained: “We’ve got so many beautiful green spaces in this area, and we just like to show pride in it. Currently we have just over 600 members in the Craigmillar Area. On a personal level I am out every day picking up litter but we have community litter picks usually at least once a month. People can find out about the litter picks by joining our Facebook group and by accessing the diary on the new community website.”
Council Leader, Jane Meagher, said that the council wants to be part of the solution and not the problem, working alongside local people and groups: “Edinburgh Council is playing a key role in supporting local people in the area to make it an even better place to live. We’re doing that by sending more teams out to pick up tons and tons of litter so making it even more beautiful. I’m proud of the improvements we’ve made to our waste and cleansing services in recent years, and the difference it’s making to our communities and the cleanliness of our streets.
“A big part of this success is down to the commitment of local people and friends groups who take such pride in their communities and give up their time to make a positive difference. That’s why I’ve been so impressed by the work of Miranda and Marion, who have created these two inspirational and successful community-led campaigns.
“The launch isn’t the start of our campaign to make the city cleaner, but it’s a new chapter, and I’m looking forward to the benefits it will bring to us all.”
Paws on Plastic
Paws on Plastic is a simple idea which makes a big impact. The charity was founded by Marion Montgomery in Stonehaven and the idea is to prompt their members to pick up litter while walking their dogs. She told a small audience at the launch at The White House in Craigmillar that the charity now has 29,000 members and they are honoured to have a new home in Craigmillar. She explained that studies have found that fewer people drop litter when areas are clean so the effect is cumulative. She also pointed out that it has a double effect. She said it is a huge plus for mental health and positivity because the results can be seen immediately and people can see the difference they have made even if they are only a tiny part of it.
She also said that the potential in Scotland is huge as there are more than one million dogs in Scotland and if everyone joined Paws on Plastic the effect would be huge. She said that it just adds a little bit extra onto the daily walks that dog owners already take – and they already have a stock of poo bags with them which can double up to put litter in.
Marion explained how it works: “We basically just encourage dog owners, when they’re out every day on their walks, just to take a minute or two just to pick a few bits of litter up to protect animals the community and the environment, and such a simple ask just builds into everyday routine.
“We are totally volunteer led and have 29,000 members and followers. If they just pick up two pieces of litter while taking two daily walks it adds up to 42 million pieces of litter removed every year. But we know it is actually far more than that because once you start picking it up you see it everywhere and you can’t stop. It is a small task that everybody can do when they are out every day anyway. It protects animals and as dog owners – when you love animals you want to protect them. So that is the reason most of our members pick up litter.”
Susan Carr of the Community Alliance Trust welcomed everyone to the White House where the new part of the project was announced. She said that she has worked in the area for more than 36 years and it has changed so much over that time. She said that 20 years ago the area was 95% social housing and there was a population of around 5-6,000. She said: “It’s changed so much. There are lots and lots of new houses, new schools and the population is growing rapidly. The changes have mostly been for the better, but one of the things that really shone out when I started here all those years ago was the sense of community here.
“I found a community here that was really driven and passionate about where they came from. And it struck me right away that this is more like a village than part of the city, and I think it has still retained that sense of community.”
She continued to say that it is not surprising that some of the newer residents who have been welcomed into the area, and who have – like Miranda – felt welcomed into the community and taken matters into their own hands. She said: “The people volunteering with Litter Busters go out rain or shine, working tirelessly to make this a better place that everyone can enjoy and regard as theirs. That is something you cannot buy or instill either, it just has to be there – and it comes from the people themselves.”
Susan pointed out that an area just across from the White House had been a dumping ground for years but thanks to local councillors and the council it has been improved “one hundred per cent”. She said: “It still has a way to go but it is so much better than it was.”
The Keep Craigmillar Clean campaign pack includes background information on the campaign, and the litter picks. Posters for use in shops and offices are provided, aimed particularly at places used by dog owners such as vets’ offices and dog grooming shops. Stencils will also be used to create anti-littering messaging in public spaces.
There is also a new Craigmillar Community Diary which can be accessed at this link – https://sandyscommunitycentre.com/CraigmillarCal/index.php
