Since April 1st this year the fine for littering has increased from £50 to £80, while anyone caught fly tipping could be fined up to £200.

These penalties have increased as part of a national initiative to tackle a problem which costs Scotland over £78million a year. These increases are backed by popular opinion – two thirds of respondents to the national litter strategy consultation favour stiffer penalties for offenders.

Argyll and Bute Council is encouraging people to act responsibly and bin their litter, recycle it or, when there is no bin available, take it home. Argyll and Bute is a beautiful place to live in and visit and everyone has a responsibility to keep it clean and litter free.

Litter can be unsightly, smelly and dangerous – it spoils the look of our landscape, it can kill wild animals and it can cause fires. Lots of litter makes an area look rundown and dirty – it’s bad for business, tourism and house prices.

Issuing penalties can punish offenders, however, it would be much better if people acted responsibly and didn’t drop litter in the first place.

Litter is defined as any item of waste in the wrong place, which includes everything from cigarette butts to banana skins.

Fly-tipping covers everything from a bin bag of household waste to old fridges.

White goods such as fridges can be taken to your local amenity site to be disposed of correctly, free of charge.

Much of our waste could be turned into a resource – at least half of it (things like plastic bottles and aluminium cans) is easily recycled.

Please keep Argyll and Bute a clean and safe place to live and work in.