Tackling plastics and litter to keep Stonehaven sparkling

It’s one of the jewels in the north-east crown, and this summer community groups are partnering up to ensure Stonehaven remains sparkling and litter-free – with a particular focus on plastics.

During the summer months, Stonehaven is a popular destination for tourists and visitors from across the UK and further afield.  

As a result, a total of 748.8 tonnes of litter was collected by Aberdeenshire Council from bins within the town centre and seafront last year which was an increase on previous years.  

Council teams are gearing themselves up for another busy season by purchasing a number of new larger litter bins and undertaking the poster campaign to ensure people don’t overfill bins when there are others close by.  

And this summer, the Plastic Free Stonehaven group is joining forces with Stonehaven Town Centre Improvement Group to reduce plastic waste in the town.

Plastic Free Stonehaven – led by local resident Marion Montgomery who also founded Paws on Plastic, a charity which promotes the idea of dog walkers picking up a few bits of litter on their daily walks – has been hugely successful in gaining support from residents and businesses in the Stonehaven community which has helped it achieve Plastic Free Community status from marine conservation charity Surfers Against Sewage.

Plastic Free Stonehaven are now working with Aberdeenshire Council in support of an anti-litter campaign to encourage more people to take responsibility for their own rubbish.

The new poster campaign will encourage members of the public to ensure they place their rubbish securely into one of the many litter bins positioned along Stonehaven seafront or take it home to recycle. 

Plastic Free Stonehaven, in conjunction with East Grampian Coastal Partnership, has also installed two special beach-cleaning kit boxes – Take Four for the Shore which are generously sponsored by local businesses – at either end of the seafront to again encourage people to pick up litter when they are out enjoying a stroll along the beach.

Stonehaven councillor and chair of the Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee, Cllr Sarah Dickinson, said: “Overflowing bins and people dropping food also contributes to the increase in seagulls along our coastline becoming more aggressive and snatching food out of people’s hands. We can all help reduce the amount of food available and stop them foraging by simply not feeding them, keeping food out of sight and disposing of our litter properly. Our message this summer is simple - if you are visiting Stonehaven this year, please help to keep it clean and tidy.”

Stonehaven councillor, Cllr Alan Turner, chair of the council’s Infrastructure Services Committee, added: “We are fortunate to have so many magnificent beaches around the Aberdeenshire coastline, many of which are long-time winners of Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Beach Awards. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our council services and the volunteers in Stonehaven – and across many other communities – who continue to maintain and improve our beaches to ensure these coastal attractions stay clean and safe for visitors all-year round.”

Marion Montgomery of Plastic Free Stonehaven said: “It's fantastic to see the support in Stonehaven for our monthly beach cleans on the first Saturday of every month. We regularly get 40-50 volunteers turning out, including families with children who love getting a stamp on their beach clean reward cards. Finds include everything from welly boots to fishing nets and everyone gets a real buzz from doing their own wee bit to protect our town's beautiful environment. We've also enjoyed litter picks with schools, Explorer Scouts, Rainbows, Brownies and Guides so it's great to see a real community effort around the campaign to keep our town clean and safe for all."

In the last few years there has been a noticeable increase in the number of dog owners venturing down to the beachfront and the vast majority are very responsible and bag their pet’s waste and deposit it properly into a litter bin or take it home.

However, the council has also seen an increase in poo bags hanging out of litter bins or having been left at the side or worse still, simply not picking up the poo at all. Dog waste is classed as general waste and can be placed into any litter bin. We encourage all dog owners to properly dispose of their pets’ waste and not to expect our waste operatives to do it.