PEOPLE living in South Ayrshire are to be offered cash prizes for cleaning up litter from around the area.

South Ayrshire Council has joined forces with LitterLotto and environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful to help combat the problem.

The council is the first in Scotland to join forces with the charity and the behavioural change app.

LitterLotto is a free to enter prize draw that aims to help reduce litter through behavioural change, incentivising people to bin their litter responsibly.

The partnership means that residents across South Ayrshire will be able to sign up to win rewards and cash prizes for picking up and binning litter from Monday, March 20.

To be in with a chance of winning, all you need to do is download the free LitterLotto app on your smartphone or device, be on litter-alert when you’re out and about, and use the app to take a picture of litter as you place it in the bin.  

Each time you submit a new photo, you’ll have another opportunity to win a prize.

You can download the LitterLotto app now for free on the App and Android Stores.

Barry Fisher, chief executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with South Ayrshire Council and LitterLotto.

"We’ve seen a fantastic response to our own partnership since our launch in 2022, with winners from all over Scotland.

“Initiatives like this can play a huge role in changing behaviours through positive reinforcement. 

Read More: Banking on it: South Ayrshire pupils get money managing tips from Nationwide team

"Rewarding people for doing the right thing is as important as fining people for doing the wrong thing – and we look forward to seeing the results of this approach.

“It’s fantastic to see South Ayrshire Council launch their own campaign and it will be a great help as we tackle the litter emergency Scotland is facing.

"By celebrating those who do the right thing and working together we can all play a part to clean up Scotland and keep it beautiful.”

Founder and CEO of LitterLotto, David Landsberg, said: “We’re proud to be partnering with South Ayrshire Council and Keep Scotland Beautiful as we continue to push boundaries to improve the environment. 

"We've had great success with Keep Scotland Beautiful since our partnership began last year and it's incredibly exciting that South Ayrshire Council are so keen to innovate and try new methods to tackle these issues that impact everyone everywhere.

“We’re looking forward to working with them to create an even cleaner Scotland and hope this is the first of many partnerships with other local authorities."

Councillor Martin Kilbride, South Ayrshire Council’s portfolio holder for buildings, housing and the environment, said: “I’m delighted that we’re the first Council in Scotland to partner with LitterLotto and Keep Scotland Beautiful.

“Each week our waste management team spends in excess of 1000 hours collecting litter across South Ayrshire and this is something we want to tackle head on. 

"We often need to make extra trips to clear up more areas where litter has been dropped. This results in increased costs, due to the additional fuel and staff required to do so.

“We know that the majority of our residents take pride in the cleanliness and upkeep of their communities, so it’s important that we do everything we can to see more people dispose of their litter and recycle responsibly.

“We’re passionate about increasing our recycling rates and reducing collection costs and LitterLotto will help us to encourage long-term behaviour change.”