We’re delighted to be able to make two new Waste Stories available to read and download.

Arrochar and the Waste of the World is a true story about the Scottish village of Arrochar, located at the top of Loch Long. Arrochar suffers from constant deposition of litter/waste on the foreshore, washed up the loch from the Clyde and the seas beyond. As you will see from the story, the situation there reveals the significant and growing challenge of how to deal with the accumulation of a mixture of seaweed and microplastics. This is not just a problem for Arrochar, and as more and more of the plastics that are already in our seas and oceans break up over time, it will inevitably affect more and more of our coasts.

The story is based on notes provided to the GRAB Trust by long-time Arrochar resident Mary Haggarty. The text has been further brought to life with beautiful illustrations by the talented folk at Creative Triangle. We hope that by sharing this story, we can encourage the development of creative solutions to the problem of separating and removing marine litter and organic matter, at Arrochar and beyond.

Murdo and Meg Clean Up the Seas is an original Waste Story written for the project by our collaborator and friend, the author and poet Ron Butlin. Ron is an award-winning writer who has published work for adults, young adults and children. Murdo and Meg is a superbly optimistic story that imagines a path to a future without ocean litter.

We hope that you enjoy reading both of these stories.