A SCOTS clean-up group were left shocked after pulling 52 individual trolleys out of a canal in just a two hour window.
The Linnvale Community Group greenspace team was created by eco-conscious residents in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire in an effort to try and tidy up the local community at the weekends.
This weekend, the group were left dumbstruck when they took to the canal towpaths between Clydebank and Dalmuir, West Dunbartonshire, extracting 52 trolleys from a three mile stretch of water.
Averaging a shocking statistic of 17 trolleys per mile in the canal, the majority of the carts came from supermarket giant Asda, who have a large store in the area.
However, other trolleys also originated from Home Bargains, TK Maxx and Smyths Toys.
The three men who pulled the trolleys out of the canal are all volunteers aged over 70 who have given up their time to improve the local community.
An image shows two members of the group standing across the canal from Three Queens Square in Clydebank wearing high visibility vests and surrounded by over 20 of the trolleys.
The group hopes to follow in the footsteps of several environmental campaigners who have been successful in their own pursuits in bettering their communities.
Speaking today, Stuart Gray, a member of the Linnvale Community Group, said: “We turn out every weekend for at least two hours to litter pick and collect dropped rubbish along the canal.
“We try to retrieve litter from the canal throughout the three mile stretch however we are quite a small group and would always welcome more help.
“We provide all of the equipment and safety gear to anyone in our team.”
“We pull out about ten carts every weekend at this location, and it’s been a few weeks since we last cleared this area.
“The problem seems to be that trolley parks are very close to the canal here, and the sub-contracted firm who are tasked with returning carts to stores do not clear these trolley parks in late afternoon, which would probably reduce the problem of carts being wantonly pushed into the canal.
“Additionally, more needs to be done to educate people to take their litter to a bin, and stop just dropping it anywhere.
“Scottish Canals, Sustrans (the bicycle network organisation), and West Dunbartonshire Council all have a role to play in reducing litter in and alongside the canal.
“Many more litter bins are needed on the canal towpaths. Last year Linnvale Community Group raised money to purchase and locate five litter bins along the Linnvale towpath.
“Scottish Canals supplied two more, and WDC replaced two which had been destroyed by vandalism. Sustrans are to supply an additional two bins this year.
“However, these bins only service a fairly short length of towpath and many more are needed between Bowling and Grangemouth.
“Fast food outlets need to stop using polystyrene clamshell food containers – it is so distressing to see ducks and other wildfowl pecking at these and ingesting it.
“Plastic and glass bottles and aluminium cans are also problematic. A returns scheme as proposed by the Scottish Government is to be welcomed.”
Several Scots locals or groups have made a significant contribution to their local areas with environmental work in recent months.
Most recently Laura Young has been successful in her attempts to make the Scottish Government consider legislation against disposable vapes.
