Landscape artist Minette Bell Macdonald, pictured, has called for a nationwide campaign to cancel out the issue which she says is “becoming a huge national environmental emergency”.
Minette this week said: “It really is appalling. The A709 between Lochmaben and Dumfries at the moment is just despicable, the A75 is beyond a joke and other roads regionally and nationally are going the same way.
“Just over 500 bottles of urine have been discovered on our roadsides across the region over the last four months. That figure is nothing compared to what is actually out there, there’ll be thousands of bottles. It’s horrendous.”
Minette is part a group of volunteers who give up their time to try and fight the war against litter being left at roadsides. But she says “enough is enough” and is urging others to help them tackle the growing issue.
“There’s already an invisible army of volunteers who are picking up litter every week,” she said. “We are risking our lives. One of my friends picked up 58 bottles of urine under a hedge near Ecclefechan in one day.
“She had to empty the bottles because she couldn’t physically lift the bin bag when the bottles are full. It’s very dangerous and she could’ve become ill.
“On one occasion I saw a lorry driver throw bottles into the hedges when he was only a few feet from a bin. I get very depressed about it, we live in a beautiful place and it’s looking horrible at the moment.
“I think the time has come for signs to be erected like they have in America that encourage and remind people not to litter.”
Minette – who picks up litter on a three-mile stretch of the B7020 weekly – states there has been an increase of face masks being flung out of vehicles and onto the verges.
She added: “During the first lockdown there was no decrease in the amount of litter, it just kept getting worse and worse. We would find more and more face masks. This also opens up the issue of the litter being a huge threat to wildlife.
“There’s also been a surge in the number of litter from takeaway chains because nothing else is open. There’s a lot of face masks and hand sanitiser bottles. You name it, they chuck it! Some people just don’t care but enough is enough.
“It’s really heart-breaking. If we want to invite visitors to the area after lockdown they will be greeted by a tidal wide of litter.”
Minette has spoken to the council, Zero Waste Scotland and other organisations about what can be done, but has now decided to write a letter to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to highlight just how severe the problem has become.
She said: “We need to spread the message and get this changed. Scotland is becoming one of the dirtiest countries in Europe for this and something needs to be done about this.
“Scotland is hosting the UN Climate Change Conference in October and we have to clean its act up before that. We cannot host such an important event when our verges look so disgusting. It’ll be humiliating. I really do regard this as a national environmental emergency.”
