Art competition encourages pupils to think about marine litter

Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Marine Litter Art Competition, in collaboration with GRAB Trust, is encouraging pupils to think about litter dropped locally and how it might end up travelling and impacting the community at Arrochar.

Pupils at primary schools, early years and ASN schools across the West Partnership, Argyll and Bute, North Ayrshire and South Ayrshire are able to enter, with a Live Lesson taken place already in which pupils from Arrochar Primary School took part in a litter pick on the village’s shores.

A workshop is planned to support and motivate their projects, before submitting their final piece in February.

The top eight schools will each be provided £250 towards attending an event at Arrochar Village Hall on  March 11 2025 to showcase their creation and journey with other schools and local stakeholders.

At that same event the overall winner will be selected, and will receive a trip to the Sea Life Loch Lomond Aquarium in Balloch.

Heather McLaughlin, campaigns and social innovation manager at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “We’re so excited to be launching this art competition to get young people involved in tackling marine litter.

“We know that around 80 per cent of marine litter comes from land, and tackling the issue at source is vital to protect our precious waterways.

“In previous years we’ve had some amazing submissions through our various art competitions and I’m sure this year will be no different.

"Young people across the country are so passionate about our environment and their artwork is always so inspiring.”

Jacqui Willis, beaches and marine litter project officer at The GRAB Trust, said: “The GRAB Trust is delighted to be able to support Keep Scotland Beautiful on this fantastic project.

“Research shows the vast majority of marine litter found at Arrochar originates elsewhere and so raising awareness around litter pathways is an important step in encouraging the behavioural changes we need to see in preventing litter at source. I’m really excited to see the competition entries!”