SNP MSP Christina McKelvie has welcomed new measures from the Scottish Government to prevent litter and flytipping across Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse and support Scotland’s circular and zero waste economy.

The new measures, which include more than doubling fines for flytipping to £500, have been brought in under a six-year National Litter and Flytipping Strategy, which sets out how national and local government, business, third sector, communities and individuals can work together to drive behaviour change, improve infrastructure and strengthen enforcement.

Other key measures include the introduction of new powers to impose a fine on the registered keeper of a vehicle from which a littering offence is committed and a new national online litter hub to provide information, advice and support to community groups and other relevant local organisations on tackling litter and littering behaviour.

Commenting, Christina said:

“This SNP Government is working hard to support Scotland's transition to a zero waste and circular economy by tidying up Scotland’s streets and neighbourhoods; these strict new measures will help to keep communities across Scotland clean and safe.

“The communities in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse are a wonderful place to live and to take pride in. Too often however our neighbourhoods are besmirched by the selfish actions of a few, through reckless flytipping and littering, which impacts on everyone who lives here.

“More than doubling the fines for fly tipping to £500 will help incentivise those selfishly flytipping to think harder before they dump rubbish onto our streets.”