A total of £10 billion is spent every year for cleaning up litter across Europe.

The figure was revealed in a new report by a Scottish environment charity, which also found the cost in Scotland amounts to £78 million.

Derek Robertson, Chief Executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful and President of the Clean Europe Network disclosed the “shocking” cost of cleaning up work at a summit in Brussels, Belgium yesterday.

The Stop Litter Now! summit brings together a range of stakeholders from non-governmental organisations, the public sector and global private sector firms to find the cause and propose solutions to Europe’s litter crisis.

Derek Roberston, Chief Executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful and President of the Clean Europe Network said: “This £10bn cost equates to over £20 for every man, woman and child across the EU – a shocking statistic and one which should startle policy-makers into long-overdue action.

“We can all argue about who pays the cost of cleaning up but what is vital is that we prioritise the creation of clean communities in the first place. We want to build and strengthen a culture of cleanliness across Europe.”