Litter louts face being fined £80 and fly-tippers £200 under tough new proposals to try to keep Scotland tidy.
The Scottish Government wants to increase fines from the current limit of £50 to deal with people who “spoil” the environment.
Littering and fly-tipping fines will increase by 60% and 300% on April 1 next year if the plans are backed by the Scottish Parliament.
SNP ministers decided to act following feedback from the National Litter Strategy Consultation, which will help shape Scotland’s first national litter strategy since 1999.
The proposals, which will see local authorities retaining fines revenue, was welcomed by council umbrella group Cosla.
Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said: “With more than 250million items of litter and over 60,000 fly-tipping incidents a year, it is imperative that we deal with this problem.
“We should not let the irresponsibility of some spoil our beautiful country.
“We want people to see the benefits of stopping littering and to take responsibility for their own actions for the right reasons.
“However, we know that the risk of a financial penalty is going to be a significant motivator for some.”
Mr Lochhead, MSP for Moray, said at least £53million is spent tackling litter and fly-tipping each year – money he said would be better spent on other services. “These increases send out a message that littering and fly-tipping will not be tolerated,” he added.
“By strengthening the enforcement system, we will begin to deter future offending.”
Cosla development, economy and sustainability spokesman Stephen Hagan said councils wanted to see as much littering as possible being prevented.
“A significant amount of local authority resources are spent tackling litter issues,” he added.
“They are committed to working with their communities and partners to reduce the negative impacts of litter and fly-tipping through a variety of means of which fixed penalty notices are one.”
Derek Robertson, chief executive of the independent charity Keep Scotland Beautiful said last night: “We welcome this announcement to increase maximum fines for irresponsible disposal of litter and fly-tipping. The blight of litter is Scotland’s secret disgrace, and needs tackled head on. This change will help in the battle.
“As our Clean Up Scotland Campaign has demonstrated, there is an increasing demand for stronger action on litter, as communities across Scotland are coming together to clean up and take pride in their area.
“However, increased fines are only part of the solution, we also need to increase the emphasis on education, and also service provision – so that responsible disposal of litter and waste is accessible to everyone.”