CivTech 11 - Challenge 11.3 - How can technology reduce the environmental and social impact of litter at Arrochar?

Arrochar, a Scottish beauty spot at Loch Long, was designated a ‘litter sink’ by the Scottish Government in 2017. The problem of litter gathering at the head of the Loch has been getting worse over decades and has reached a point where it creates a damaging effect on the area, its environment, wildlife, visitors, and on the Local Community. Arrochar is perhaps the most publicised but far from the only ‘Litter Sink’ in Scotland. Manual mechanical methods are challenging and costly, and so this Challenge seeks to develop new, sustainable ways of tackling a national issue, starting with Arrochar. About CivTech CivTech’s mission is to drive daring and innovation in the public sector by collaboratively solving Challenges that make people’s lives better – and in doing so create generations of sustainable, high growth businesses. CivTech brings together public sector expertise and private sector innovation to solve real problems, develop new products, and deliver better, faster and easier services for everyone. Central to the approach is co-production with the citizen. Part of the Scottish Government’s Digital Directorate, CivTech’s approach is helping transform public sector engagement with tech and innovation, delivering significant benefits to public services, producing genuine uplifts for the Scottish economy - and along the way, making lives better. Across the country there are problems public sector organisations would like to solve and in the current environment the need for smart, efficient and effective products has never been greater. The Scottish Government is aware innovation is a good way to create them and is committed to ensuring a large part of its tech spend goes to innovative businesses - whatever stage they’re at, or size they are.. This is where CivTech comes in. The CivTech Innovation Flow is designed to create products as quickly and effectively as possible, and uses a true Accelerator model at the heart of its Innovation Flow model. For you – whether you’re an individual, team or company – it’s an opportunity to take on a Challenge, solve it, and win contracts with a blue-chip public sector organisation. You’ll build a product, and a business to take it as far as possible. Because here’s the kicker: the Challenges we issue aren’t ‘single organisation’ problems – most of the problems we are solving exist worldwide. In short: Open Challenges are set. Any organisation, team or individual can respond. Applications are assessed, and shortlisted proposals go into an Exploration Stage where they’re developed further together with the Challenge Sponsor and the CivTech [for which participating applicants are paid]. The best go through to the Accelerator – a period of intensive work to create the solution, and through CivTech’s unique business growth workshop system, a business capable of taking the product to the world. Please visit our website for information on CivTech and how to get involved https://www.civtech.scot/how-to-apply-civtech-11 https://www.civtech.scot/civtech-11-challenge-6-reducing-teaching-workload