During March and April the campaign urges communities, businesses, schools and individuals to take part in clean ups across the country.

You too can join the thousands across the country, led by Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB), who want to do something about the scourge of those who drop litter.

Councillor Robert Brown, the chair of the council’s Community and Enterprise Resources Committee, said: “Sadly, our throwaway culture continues as some people think they can throw what they want away and let other people clear up the mess.

"That is why we are again supporting the annual Spring Clean and urging everyone to support the council’s own It’s Your Place campaign – a programme dedicated to encouraging everyone to do their part to make sure that South Lanarkshire is somewhere that we can all be proud of living in and enjoying all that the area has to offer free from litter, graffiti and other anti-social and illegal behaviour.

“That’s why I’m keen that the council not only leads the way through our ongoing programmes, such as that on our rural roads this month, but supports our communities in their efforts too.

“There are already a fantastic army of volunteers and groups across South Lanarkshire regularly working with us to tackle the problem, and I would urge as many more people as possible to join in.”

To make your efforts as effective as possible, volunteers and groups can fill in the community clean up form on our website to borrow equipment to help with their effort, and subsequently, let us know where bagged rubbish has been left so that we can uplift it.

KSB also has a range of information to help everyone get involved and organise a litter pick of their own. Events can then be registered on the cleanup Scotland members site that others can join in too.

And again this year, young people are being encouraged to take part in the KSB litter league – a chance for young people to take part in cleaning up Scotland but also competing with each other to find out who is a #SpringCleanScotland champion.

Spring Clean Scotland runs from March 15 - April 28 and all the information, support and resources you need nationally and so much more are available from the Keep Scotland Beautiful website #SpringCleanScotland

Kevin Carr, the head of the council's Facilities, Waste and Grounds Service, said: “We can provide groups with litter bags and litter sticks as well as arranging for the uplift of bags if required.

“This year, as well as the Spring Clean and It’s Your Place campaigns we are also hoping that everyone will act positively to reduce the huge amounts of rubbish now finding its way into our waterways, seas and oceans.

“Given budget cuts and reduced resources to tackle this blight on our society, we need everyone in our communities to help the council with this ever-increasing problem that is caused by a minority of people who seem to think the rules don’t apply to them.

“There really is a simple way to stop all this - do not throw away rubbish inappropriately. Litter should always be put in litter bins, household bins or collected and taken to any of our recycling centres.”

For more information please go to our Bins and recycling pages.