EXCLUSIVE: Police Scotland adds to 'litter emergency' with non-biodegradable barrier tape
Litter pickers say the plastic tape is often left to them to remove, after it is spotted hanging from lampposts or tangled on the roadside
Last updated 18th Mar 2024
Barrier tape used by Police Scotland to cordon off crime scenes and accidents is not biodegradable, MFR can reveal.
Litter pickers have admitted removing the single-use plastic more frequently in the last five years, warning the force is indirectly contributing to the country's "litter emergency".
Volunteers say it is often spotted tangled in bushes at the side of the road or hanging from lampposts after it has not been fully cleared away from an incident.
A Freedom of Information request by MFR found the current supplier of barrier tape used by Police Scotland, SceneSafe, offers the same tape in a biodegradable option - however the force has no record of having ever purchased the greener alternative.
SceneSafe would not provide information regarding the price of either product.
Further Freedom of Information requests revealed that Police Scotland does not hold any information regarding the policy for site clean up after an investigation has concluded, nor how many meters of the tape has been used in the last year.
Campaigners are keen to see a codified policy introduced within the force, ensuring officers know their responsibility to take the tape away.
Scotland is facing a litter emergency according to Keep Scotland Beautiful, with the public facing £80 penalties or court fines of up to £2,500 for leaving their rubbish behind, under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
'It's a bugbear'
Craig Ritchie is a retired police officer and has been picking litter from his local community since the start of lockdown.
He told MFR police tape is becoming a more and more frequent find over the last five years.
"I see it pretty much every time I go out litter picking, you'll find some sort of blue tape somewhere, and it is annoying.
"It's a bit of a bugbear for me. You do see it caught in hedges and tied around lampposts.
"It seems to be worse than it used to be. I don't know if the police are using more tape for whatever reason, but there's definitely more around than there used to be.
"If it's tied around that pole, it's going to stay there forever and ever unless it's removed by litter pickers.
"If there was biodegradable stuff that would help, but ideally, it shouldn't be there in the first place."
'We're not trying to reinvent the wheel'
Craig retired as a police officer around a decade ago, but in his years as a serving officer, recalls there never being a codified policy around who was responsible for clearing the tape.
He said: "It should just be instilled that whoever is last on the scene takes it away.
"We're not trying to reinvent the wheel here, it's simple. There's no extra cost or hassle involved in that and it should just be something that happens.
"But by also switching to biodegradable tape, it would that when the cops go out, and they need to put this up, once they've finished they simply remove it when they're done.
"If any of it blows away or isn't removed for whatever reason, it biodegrades. That's got to be a good thing."
Craig added that the presence of disregarded police tape undermines the force's authority to enforce the rules: "If I went to through a piece of litter out my car and the police saw that, they would rightly stop me and charge me.
"So it does feel as if it's one set of rules for us and another set of rules for them - we know that's not the case, but that's the perception it certainly seems to give."
When asked if Police Scotland are indirectly contributing to Scotland's litter emergency, Craig said: "Yes, in a small way, of course they are."
Police Scotland refused interview
Police Scotland refused to be interviewed about this subject, but did provide this statement: “Police Scotland has been working to identify ways we can contribute to addressing the climate emergency.
"Our Environmental Strategy lays out our approach to reducing emissions but we also recognise the role public spending and procurement has too.
“We have a robust and fair procurement system in place following a UK national agreement.
"The biodegradable barrier tape is not yet part of our product list, but this list of approved products is always under review.
“Barrier tape is used across Police Scotland for a variety of reasons and should be removed wherever possible to keep communities free from litter. If anyone has concerns, they can contact police via 101.”
'Institutional hypocrisy'
The situation has been branded as a form of "institutional hypocrisy" by Labour MSP Paul Sweeney.
He said: "This is an interesting proposal that has been raised by MFR, and certainly one that Police Scotland should take seriously.
"Every public body should be making every possible effort to improve their environmental efficiency, and from hearing from litter picking groups across Glasgow in recent years, police barrier tape being discarded is a frequent issue that has been brought up by community councils and by litter picking groups.
"I think it is fair that Police Scotland do look at this. If there is an alternative product out there that is supplied by the same company - then it's an easy switch to make.
"I think Police Scotland should take this proposal seriously and look to make a difference because it is an issue also of institutional hypocrisy if other citizens are expected to abide by the law.
"They are bound by the Environmental Protection Act of 1990. That is the basis for which people are fined for dropping litter on the street.
"We should expect those who are enforcing the law to also take every possible measure to ensure that they aren't littering the community as well.
"A key part of leadership in policing by consent is to show example, and I would hope that Police Scotland responds positively to this proposal."
'However litter gets there - we all agree it's an issue'
Heather McLaughlin, campaigns coordinator with Keep Scotland Beautiful said: “Litter reaches our environment through many different means, some deliberately chucked there by people who have no regard for our environment or the animals and plants who live alongside us, and some is accidentally left as a result of another activity.
“However litter gets there, we all agree that it is an issue, and something more needs to be done, whether that is changing the products we produce, buy and use – and making them less ‘single-use’ or it is simply cleaning up after ourselves."