Towards a litter-free Scotland: a strategic approach to higher quality local environments

Equality Impact Assessment - Results

Title of Policy	Towards a Litter-Free Scotland: a strategic approach to higher quality local environments
Summary of aims and desired outcomes of Policy	Towards a Litter-Free Scotland sets out our approach to improving our environment by addressing litter and flytipping problems. The strategy's goal is prevention - stopping waste from entering the environment. It is a high-level focus for organisations with responsibilities to provide, and interests in delivering, action to address litter and flytipping through: 1. education and information 2. infrastructure (facilities and services) 3. enforcement initiatives. While the executive summary of the strategy is written for a wide public audience, the strategy itself is for delivery partners - refered to within the strategy. We will work with partners to develop tactics and deliver equality duties within existing legislation.
Directorate: Division: team	Directorate for Environment and Forestry: Environmental Quality Division: Zero Waste Delivery Team

Executive summary

The national litter strategy 'Towards a Litter-Free Scotland' aims to influence individual's behaviours and encourage people to take personal responsibility for their waste - including doing more to reduce, reuse and recycle. It focuses on activities around information, infrastructure and enforcement.

This equalities impact assessment reflects that the strategy is a high-level document and an extension of existing policy. We will work with our delivery partners to develop implementation plans.

As a result of the equalities impact assessment we:

1. Will make sure our delivery partners are aware of equality interests and the need to tailor their delivery plans accordingly, particularly around communication and accessibility of products, services and community-led actions.

2. Will work with organisations that represent young people to inform relevant implementation plans, including developing guidance in relation to littering by young people under 16.

3. Have identified areas which need further consideration or investigation in relation to equality, particularly around whether there are race or ethnicity issues around litter and flytipping.

It is likely that as delivery tactics are developed there will be positive impacts on equality interests. The need for further action may be identified as the strategy's delivery plans are developed or as further research and information comes to light, for example in improving understanding of who flytips.

Background

The Scottish Government is committed to tackling Scotland's litter problem. It consulted on a draft litter strategy in summer 2013.

The final national litter strategy sets out our approach to improving local environment, by addressing litter and flytipping problems, over the next five years.

The strategy is for people with a role in helping to tackle litter and flytipping and boost recycling. We want it to enhance and reinforce work already underway across Scottish local and national government, business, charities, voluntary organisations and community groups.

The strategy identifies ways these delivery partners can encourage people to take responsibility; through key information, infrastructure and enforcement activities.

We can influence individuals' behaviours when we work together and become a society which values its resources, and benefits, through:

• Reducing the damaging consequences of litter and flytipping for health and well-being, crime, property values, wildfires and even road accidents.
• Making better use of materials and products which otherwise end up as litter or flytipping.
• Cleaner, safer communities in which to live and do business.

The strategy contributes to the following National Outcomes:

1. We value and enjoy our built and natural environment and protect it and enhance it for future generations.

2. We reduce the local and global environmental impact of our consumption and production.

3. We live in well-designed, sustainable places where we are able to access the amenities and services we need.

4. Our public services are high quality, continually improving, efficient and responsive to local people's needs.

The environment that the strategy relates to is both urban and rural and recognises that litter and flytipping occurs across all land types.

Policy officials undertook a framing exercise and reviewed available evidence. A full Equality Impact Assessment was considered helpful to ensure that due regard is given to the equality duty within the strategy and to highlight any areas that need specific consideration.

The Scope of the EQIA

The likely effects of the policy were assessed by policy officials based on following sources of evidence, which were identified as having information on attitudes and behaviours relating to different socio-demographic groups:

• Zero Waste Scotland: "Scotland's Litter Problem Quantifying the scale and cost of litter and flytipping"
• Results from the annual Scottish Household Survey
• Desk-based research to inform the Scottish Government Anti-Litter Campaign

The 2013 litter consultation invited respondents to highlight equalities issues. A summry of the respones was published in early 2014. ("The Scottish Government's Litter and Flytipping Strategy 'Towards a litter-free Scotland' Analysis of Responses to the Public Consultation.")

Responses included litter practitioners, businsesses, equality organisations and members of the public. Feedback included: the importance of accessible communications, difficulties relating to littering carried out by under 16s and need for further investigation.

Key Findings

Overall, evidence suggests that no single demographic group are inherent litterers, with around half of us admitting to littering at some point.

There is wide variation in the frequency and extent to which individuals' litter, which seems to depend on the circumstances they find themselves in. This point is relevant to all the sections below - who someone is, is not necessarily the best guide to whether they will litter.

We did not find any evidence about who flytips. The strategy will take forward action to close this evidence gap.

Age:

Although there is no single demographic that is inherent litterers, there is evidence to suggest that younger people:

• Tend to litter more than older people
• Are more willing to admit to littering
• Are more likely to be concerned by rubbish or litter lying around than older adults ( e.g. 35% of 16-24 year olds identified it as a problem in their neighbourhood compared to 18% of those aged 75 or over).

We will work with organisations that represent young people's interests to shape relevant implementation plans.

We will convene a working group to consider what the guidance should include in relation to littering by young people under 16.

The strategy is not expected to have any negative impact on people due to their age. It will result in tactics that motivate all populations to consider their littering/flytipping behaviour and action to support communities should be accessible to all age groups.

Disability:

From the Scottish Household Survey: in 2012, 33% of disabled respondents thought litter was a problem in their neighbourhood, compared to 29% of people who did not have a disability.

There was no other evidence specifically about disabled people and litter within Scotland. However, the litter consultation highlighted that certain disabilities may be at a disadvantage when it comes to information provision and awareness raising, unless messages are accessible.

The strategy is likely to have a positive impact on people with disabilities. Improved communications should help overcome any existing communication barriers. Improvements to packaging and design should support people with disabilities.

We will therefore work with delivery partners to encourage them to make their communications, products and services accessible.

Sex:

Evidence suggests that women have stronger anti-litter attitudes than men. It found that men litter more than women do and are also more willing to admit to littering. We do not think that this warrants further investigation.

We do not expect the strategy to impact men and women in different ways. The purpose of the litter strategy is to influence littering/flytipping behaviours.

Pregnancy and Maternity:

We did not find any evidence relating to pregnancy/maternity and litter or flytipping. It is not considered to be an issue as the purpose of the litter strategy is to influence littering/flytipping behaviours.

Gender reassignment:

We did not find any evidence relating to gender reassignment and litter or flytipping. It is not considered to be an issue as the purpose of the litter strategy is to influence littering/flytipping behaviours.

Sexual orientation:

We did not find any evidence relating to sexual orientation and litter or flytipping. It is not considered to be an issue as the purpose of the litter strategy is to influence littering/flytipping behaviours.

Race:

We did not find any research specifically on race/ethnicity and littering or flytipping and there is no evidence to suggest that there will be any negative impacts on people on the grounds of their race.

The litter strategy will result in tactics that motivate all populations to consider their littering/flytipping behaviour and therefore supports equality of opportunity.

However, littering behaviour is very strongly affected by social context. As such, it may be that some ethnic groups have culturally different understandings or behaviours around litter and flytipping. It would be useful to investigate this further.

As a first step, we will consider race/ethnicity further when we commission work to understand the drivers for flytipping.

We also know language may be a barrier to understanding communications for some people, including those whose first language is not English. We will therfore work with delivery partners to encourage them to make their communications, products and services accessible.

Religion or belief:

We did not find any evidence relating to religion or belief and litter or flytipping. It is not considered to be an issue as the purpose of the litter strategy is to influence littering/flytipping behaviours.

Recommendations and Conclusion

The national litter strategy will result in tactics that motivate all populations to consider their littering/flytipping behaviour.

The strategy is a high-level document and its primary audience is the organisations with responsibilities covered by existing litter and flytipping legislation, and Third Sector groups with interests in tackling problems.

It is likely that as tactics are developed there will be some positive impacts on equality interests. No significant negative impacts have been identified.

As a result of the Equalities Impact Assessment, we will make sure our delivery partners are aware of equality interests and the need to tailor their delivery plans accordingly, particularly around communication.

We will work with organisations that represent young people to inform relevant implementation plans. We will also convene a working group to consider what the litter and flytipping guidance should include in relation to littering by young people under 16.

We have also identified areas which need further consideration or investigation in relation to equality, particularly around whether there are race or ethnicity issues around litter and flytipping.

The Equalities Impact Assessment is a live document which will be revisited as the strategy's delivery tactics take shape. The need for further action may be identified as the strategy's delivery plans are developed or as further research and information comes to light.

We will work closely with delivery partners to establish an effective approach to the strategy's monitoring and measurement and we will consider equality interests in developing this approach.