Largs Community Council is urging local businesses to do more to reduce plastic and general waste on our shores.
A number of community beach clean events take place every year run by the school, community council, and the SNP.
Chairman Douglas Blair said: “Tied into beach cleans, more generically, one of the things that has been publicised is this issue of plastic forks and spoons - why don’t takeaways think about moving to something less intrusive.”
Patricia Perman said: “These insulated boxes that they put fish in now - you just need two or three of them and the bin is full up.” 
Douglas said: “The level of waste out of our fast food shops is a problem. I go up to the Haylie Brae viewpoint quite regularly and there is a regular mess up there after food is disposed. It is either pulled out of the bins by seagulls, or dumped out of car windows.
“Please don’t use plastic forks and use wooden or more basic materials.”
Independent councillor Ian Murdoch suggested that Largs Community Council should directly approach local businesses.
Community councillor Jim Perman said: “If there is another BID (Business Improvement District) why not tell them to do it, I have brought this up before and they haven’t done anything about it.” 
Douglas Blair said: “It is a simple thing the community asking for. It is a bit much when you consider over recent years that the Largs Community Council have been carrying out beach clean ups and at the same time some of the waste on the shore comes from the local shops. I am sure North Ayrshire’s Streetscene (Ground maintenance) are very busy, and they have been very good in supporting us with our beach cleans, but it just makes sense if takeaway businesses are more careful when it comes to environmental issues.”
The Largs BID is the levy paying group of local businesses. and as part of their ‘Clean and Safe Campaign’ for the town, Explore Largs - Largs BID’s brand - created an educational awareness leaflet aimed at all aspects of hygiene; from putting rubbish in bins and clearing away dog faeces to refraining from feeding the gulls.
During the past two summers, leaflets have been distributed to key outlets and shops in Largs by the Explore Largs Street staff, who engage with businesses to encourage ‘responsible tourism’.
Largs Community Council and the BID have been looking at working more closely to support common issues including the environment.
* The SNP have a beach clean organised for Sunday 18 February, meet at 9.30am at Largs ferry slip.