Tak It Hame: Hillwalkers and climbers urged to help keep hills clear of litter
Mountaineering Scotland is asking hill walkers and climbers to help keep Scotland’s hills and mountains clear of litter. ‘Tak It Hame’.
Tak It Hame 2020 is being launched as coronavirus lockdown eases. There has been much publicity about littering and ‘dirty camping’ since restrictions have eased. This has been the case in some of Scotland’s most popular beauty spots.
The plan was to relaunch the campaign in early spring to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Mountaineering Scotland. However, due to the Coronavirus lockdown, it was put on hold.
‘Scotland is stunning – let’s keep it that way’
Travel restrictions are now lifted and tourism has re-opened in Scotland. Tak It Hame aims to support the national anti-littering campaign: ‘Scotland is stunning – let’s keep it that way’. This is being done by encouraging support from everyone who goes walking or climbing in Scotland’s hills. They should take responsibility for keeping these world-renowned mountain landscapes beautiful. People should take litter home for proper disposal and recycling. The message is simple – “If we don’t do it, who will?”
Davie Black is the Access and Conservation Officer for Mountaineering Scotland. He talked about the 2019 Tak It Hame campaign and Conservation Strategy. “We hoped that our members and clubs would get involved.” It was hoped it would “reach the wider hill-walking and mountaineering community. In fact, it reached much further than we ever expected.” “People from all over Scotland and the UK (were) contacting us and wanting to get involved.”
Organised litter picks
“Many of Mountaineering Scotland’s affiliated clubs organised litter picks.” Furthermore, “many individuals … members and non-members shared photos on social media of the litter they had removed from the hills.” “It was really encouraging to see how people got behind the campaign.” “That’s why we are keen to get it back up and running again this year.”
Hill-goers are encouraged to take a suitable bag in their backpack each time they venture out. This can be used to take litter away for recycling or disposal. Mountaineering Scotland is also asking people to think about how they could reduce their use of packaging. This could be from drinks, snacks and packed lunches. They should also be using alternatives to single use plastics and food wrap.
For further information:
Visit the Mountaineering Scotland website
