New litter app will encourage people to bin their litter responsibly
Posted on 28 Mar 2024
North Ayrshire Council is teaming up with partners to provide a free app that offers rewards to encourage people to bin litter responsibly.
LitterLotto, organised by Keep Scotland Beautiful, offers users the chance to Bin it to win it! by winning a monthly prize and weekly jackpots.
The Council is working with Keep Scotland Beautiful on a pilot initiative, which aims to encourage more people to place their litter in a bin and develop habits to always dispose of their litter responsibly.
The LitterLotto app is designed to inspire residents aged 13 and over across North Ayrshire to bin their waste and pick up litter that has been dropped and help keep our communities and neighbourhoods looking good.
A version of the app has been configured specifically for the Council, with a launch date of Monday, April 1.
It is simple to use, free to enter and all you need to do is:
- Download the app
- Be litter alert and take a photograph on your device or smart phone as you place your litter into a Council street litter bin and
- Wait to discover if you are the monthly prize draw winner – selected randomly - in North Ayrshire.
All litter counts, from a single cigarette stub to a takeaway meal box, and you can enter as often as you like as long as you are putting a different piece of litter into a North Ayrshire street litter bin.
A monthly cash prize of £100 is up-for-grabs in North Ayrshire, and every time you responsibly bin a piece of litter you get another entry into the LitterLotto UK-wide weekly jackpot of £1,000.
Councillor Tony Gurney, Cabinet Member for Green Environment and Economy, said: “This app is a fun way to reward people for doing the right thing by binning their litter and stopping it from ending up on our streets and beaches, while encouraging behaviour change.
“The majority of our residents take pride in the cleanliness of our area, so it's important that we encourage more people to dispose of their litter responsibly.
“The Council already has fantastic volunteer groups that help to pick up litter, which supports the role of our Streetscene staff. However, litter is still an ongoing issue, and I would encourage people to download the free app, get involved and Bin it to win it!”
So far, almost 14 million pieces of litter have been binned by app users in other areas across the UK, and the Council will trial the initiative for 12 months.
Barry Fisher, Chief Executive at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “It’s wonderful to partner with North Ayrshire Council and LitterLotto, and take another positive step towards tackling the litter emergency.
"For more than a year, our partnership with LitterLotto has seen winners all over the country being rewarded for doing the right thing. Everyone has a role to play as we battle the litter issue, and we are determined to find new ways to engage and inspire Scotland’s people to reverse the data trends.
"That is why we are delighted to be working with LitterLotto and North Ayrshire Council to bring this innovative app to the area to promote behaviour change in a fun way.
"We’ve had winners from North Ayrshire through our own partnership, so we know the desire for positive change is there, and I’m looking forward to seeing even more people rewarded for keeping Scotland, and North Ayrshire, beautiful."
David Landsberg, founder and CEO of LitterLotto, added: “Myself and the LitterLotto team are delighted to welcome North Ayrshire Council to partner with us!
“It’s thanks to Keep Scotland Beautiful, our fantastic partnering councils and the great work of their residents that we’re achieving such impressive results.”
You must be aged 13 or over to get involved. Prizes for users under 18 must be claimed through a parent or legal guardian.
You can download the app here: https://litterlotto.com/ or through your app store.
Our photo shows Provost Anthea Dickson and Councillor Tony Gurney, Cabinet Member for Green Environment and Economy (centre) with (from left) Streetscene Strategy Manager Sarah Archer; Keep Scotland Beautiful Campaigns Coordinator Heather McLaughlin; Thomas Reaney, Head of Service for Neighbourhood Services and Wallace Turpie, Senior Manager for Waste Resources.