The Scottish Government Archives - Stripe Communications

Scotland’s 5p bag charge: one year on

By Georgia Lea georgiallea
20th October 2015
#StripeLife

650 million single-use carrier bags. That’s the number it would take to cover the entire surface of Loch Ness twice – and you would still have 50 million to spare.

It also happens to be the (completely phenomenal) number that Scottish retailers are reporting carrier bag usage to have fallen by since the 5p bag charge was introduced on 20 October 2014, exactly a year ago today.

Previous statistics showed that shoppers in Scotland used more than 800 million new single-use carrier bags every single year – more per head than anywhere else in the UK. Shockingly, more than 7.4 million of these were being collected from Scottish beaches, streets and public spaces by litter collectors each year.

In October 2014, we worked with the Scottish Government to introduce the 5p charge to shoppers across Scotland in a bid to help tackle waste and help clean up Scotland’s environment. Since then, we’ve helped both the Government and Zero Waste Scotland raise awareness of the 5p charge amongst shoppers and to encourage retailers to sign up to Scotland’s Carrier Bag Commitment and pledge to record figures on bag usage and donate the proceeds to good causes.

During this time we produced hundreds of branded tote bags, successfully stuffed a giant elephant prop in the back of a much too small van, scrambled around on the floor of more than one shopping centre, and held multiple photocalls featuring everyone from Scotland’s Environment Secretary to helicopter pilots loaded with armfuls of reusable bags. We’ve come out smiling though, because the results have been more incredible than we could ever have hoped.

In just one year, usage has been cut by 80%, and signatories to the Carrier Bag Commitment have reported a staggering sum of nearly £7 million raised for good causes. Perhaps even more rewardingly though, the 650 million bags saved this year show that it’s now becoming second nature to shoppers to reuse their carrier bags.

So next time you’re out shopping remember to BYOB: bring your own bags!

Stripe Helps Alcohol Campaign to Encourage Scots to Take a Look in the Mirror in 2013

Stripe has worked with The Scottish Government to launch its Alcohol Behaviour Change Campaign which is encouraging women aged between 30-50 to ‘drop a glass size’ and think about the health effects of regularly drinking above the recommended alcohol guideline.

As part of the campaign, which also includes a national roadshow, a new ‘drinking mirror’ smartphone app has been developed to show people the shocking effects of regularly drinking too much.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Alex Neil MSP, was joined by staff and clients of Taylor Ferguson hairdressers in Glasgow to demonstrate how the app works and show the effects that too much alcohol can have on your appearance.

The campaign will be supported by additional PR, press and radio advertising, social media and field activity alongside a one-stop website https://www.drinksmarter.org where people will be encouraged to interact with the ‘Drop a Glass Size’ feature on the website and see what a difference dropping a glass size would make to their sleep, weight, bank balance and overall health.

PlayTalkRead unveils ‘30 Things to do Before You’re 3’

PlayTalkRead has launched a list of ‘must do’s’ for 0-3 year olds to encourage mums and dads to have fun with their tots from day one. From jumping in puddles and bursting bubbles to pulling silly faces in the mirror and feeding the ducks in the park, it’s a big list of simple fun for little ones across the country to get under their belt before the early years are over.

The Scottish Government’s 30 Things to do Before You’re 3 is the ultimate children’s checklist including everything from singing incy wincy spider to getting squishy with play dough. Supporting the PlayTalkRead campaign, the list champions the early years (0-3 years) as a golden opportunity for mums and dads to play, talk and read with their kids more often and give them the best start in life.

Evidence has shown that during the first three years of a child’s life 75% of brain growth is complete and an estimated 50% of our language is in place. So mum and dads should dive in now and start ticking off their tot’s list of unmissable PlayTalkRead experiences while they still have the chance!

The full 30 Things to do Before You’re 3 list is available to download from the PlayTalkRead website here, along with a number of new interactive games for parents and their little ones.

Stripe help encourage drivers to reduce their ‘risk factor’

Stripes were on hand as the Scottish Government launched a new campaign with Road Safety Scotland (part of Transport Scotland) encouraging drivers to consider how they can reduce their ‘risk factor’ on country roads.

Risk-taking is strongly related to gender and age, and the riskiest drivers on Scotland’s roads are men under 45. Three quarters of those killed on rural roads are males, and one third are young drivers aged between 17-25.

Statistics show that three out of four road fatalities occur on Scotland’s country roads resulting in an average of 190 deaths per year.

The campaign features a series of different adverts which are aimed at tackling the complexities around the risk-taking behaviour of male drivers. It encourages them to watch their speed and concentrate on the road in order to reduce the risks when driving on country roads which should, in turn, reduce the number of accidents and fatalities.

Stripe launches campaign urging women to ‘drop a glass size’ in 2012

Stripe Communications has worked with the Scottish Government to deliver the new Alcohol Behaviour Change campaign including the launch of a new ‘drinking time machine’ smart phone app. The app is designed to show people the shocking affects of regularly drinking too much and how alcohol speeds up the ageing process.

The new Alcohol Behaviour Change campaign aims to encourage people to make small changes to the way they drink and Stripe helped kick things off with an exclusive Mocktail Monday event in Edinburgh with global mixologist Wayne Collins.

The campaign is supported by additional PR, social media and digital activity; and a one-stop website https://www.drinksmarter.org which will provide the tools and support required to help people make a positive change to their drinking habits.

For more information about sensible drinking, the benefits of dropping a glass size and the smart phone app visit https://www.drinksmarter.org

Pupils help launch new ‘Greener Together’ campaign

Stripe worked with the Scottish Government to launch its new ‘Greener Together’ campaign encouraging Scots to work together for a cleaner, greener future. Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Richard Lochhead joined four pupils from Edinburgh’s Flora Stevenson Primary School at the capital’s Inverleith Park to celebrate the new initiative, which is encouraging the nation to “Go Greener Together”. The campaign aims to get Scots doing their bit to help make a difference for the future. By showing we can all contribute, the campaign encourages people to recognise greener living benefits for them, their families and Scotland as a whole. Recent research* has shown that 72 per cent of respondents agree greener living was necessary and over half (52 per cent) said they would like to do more to help the environment. The campaign encourages a wide range of ways Scots can make a difference and support the Scottish Government’s ambitious climate change targets of a 42 per cent reduction in CO2 by 2020 and an 80 per cent reduction by 2050. *Overarching Greener campaign insight gathering, TNS 2011

‘Panda fever’ grips pupils as welcome celebrations spread to schools

Stripe worked with the Scottish Government to spread ‘panda fever’ to school children across Scotland with a specially created panda roadshow.

The educational project took place in six schools across the country including in Glasgow, Edinburgh, the Borders, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness. A giant panda mascot greeted scores of excited kids at the visits, which were part of the Scottish Government’s celebrations to welcome the giant pandas Tian Tian (Sweetie) and Yang Guang (Sunshine) to Scotland.

Pupils learned about Scotland’s links with China and also found out more about the bears, who are the first giant pandas to live in the UK in 17 years. The youngsters were also keen to show off their creative skills to the panda mascot as they designed masks, drew pictures and sung songs to welcome him to their school.

Ready for Winter? campaign helps Scots prepare for severe weather

Stripe today launched ‘Ready for Winter?’, the Scottish Government campaign to encourage more people and businesses across Scotland to consider if they are ready for winter, and to think about what they can do to make sure they’re ready for severe weather or a prolonged icy snap.

Following research which shows the majority of Scots are concerned about the prospect of severe weather, the ‘Ready for Winter?’ campaign will remind individuals of the risks and consequences of being underprepared.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Scotland’s Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, who has responsibility for resilience issues, said: “The evidence of the last two winters has shown that individuals and communities are stronger when they help themselves and help others. We also know that people want to be better prepared for whatever conditions they might have to face, and are looking for advice and information to help them get ready for winter.”

Play Talk Read nationwide roadshow encourages parents to have fun from day one

The Scottish Government has launched a new national roadshow to encourage parents and carers to play, talk and read more often with their younger children (0-3).

Scotland’s Minister for Children and Young People, Angela Constance launched the roadshow yesterday (6 October) at Edinburgh’s Cameron Toll by – the tour will visit all of Scotland’s 32 local authorities as part of the next phase of the Play, Talk, Read campaign which focuses on the early years of children’s lives.

In partnership with Scottish Book Trust, the Play@Home scheme and other voluntary organisations, the roadshow kicks-off in key shopping centres across Scotland offering fun and free play and Bookbug stories, song and rhyme sessions in an engaging pop-up area. The Scottish Government’s new PlayTalkRead Bus will then take to the streets, visiting towns and cities across the country.

Scotland pioneers innovative new road safety approach

The Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland today announced the launch of ‘Go Safe! – Ziggy’s Road Safety Mission’, a pioneering new road safety approach aimed at all children from birth to six and their ‘communities’ of parents, carers and educational staff.

Every pre-school child in Scotland will receive a specially created book as part of the new story-based initiative which aims to not only to improve early years road safety education, but also give young children the best possible start to their lifelong learning about keeping safe on and around the road environment.

The road environment still represents the single highest cause of death and injury to young people in Scotland, with 1,474 child casualties on Scotland’s roads in 2009. The new approach aims to reduce child casualties through inspiring the involvement of parents, carers and educators to provide good examples every time they are on or near roads with young children.

As part of the new approach, a total of 106,000 books for home use will be distributed, one for every pre-school child across the country. A new website has been launched for children, parents and educators – https://www.gosafewithziggy.com – and free teaching packs, including the Ziggy series of stories and an interactive CD, are being sent out to all primary schools and pre-school education settings in Scotland from October 2010.

Featuring the colorful ‘Ziggy’ character, a little alien who visits Scotland to learn about road safety, the materials have been developed in line with the Scottish Government’s policy on early intervention and Curriculum for Excellence for each key stage of the early years: 0-3, pre-school and the transition into Primary 1.

To mark the launch of the new approach at an event organised by Road Safety Scotland and Stripe, primary school children and parents from St. Peter’s Primary School in West Dunbartonshire were joined by Scottish actress Julie Wilson Nimmo and Real Radio’s Steve McKenna, who narrates the stories on the website, to take part in a reading from the first book in the series: ‘Ziggy and the Lollipop’.

Blog : The Scottish Government