A shared responsibility: Fife businesses invited to support national campaign protecting coast and countryside

As Fife prepares for another busy summer, with visitors drawn to its beaches, coastal paths and rural landscapes, attention is once again turning to a quieter but increasingly important issue — how we manage the pressures that come with popularity.

In locations where public facilities are limited, the impact of visitor behaviour can quickly become visible. Inappropriate toilet use and the incorrect disposal of waste not only affect the natural environment, but also place strain on local infrastructure and create challenges for the communities who live and work in these areas.

It is this growing pressure that sits behind Scottish Water’s “Nature Calls” campaign, which encourages people to plan ahead and behave responsibly when spending time outdoors. The message is deliberately simple, rooted in small actions that, taken together, can make a meaningful difference.

At the heart of the campaign is a clear rule of thumb: only flush the 3 Ps — pee, poo and toilet paper. Everything else should be placed in a bin. Items such as wipes and sanitary products often contain plastic and can cause blockages in the sewer network, while fats, oil and grease poured down sinks can lead to significant issues further along the system. In this respect, the campaign reaches beyond the immediate visitor experience, reminding people that what happens in a toilet or sink can have far wider environmental consequences.

For Fife’s tourism and hospitality sector, this is not unfamiliar territory. Across the Kingdom, many businesses and attractions already promote responsible behaviour and take pride in caring for the places they represent. Many businesses are already doing great work in this space. What the campaign offers is an opportunity to build on that existing effort — strengthening the clarity, consistency and visibility of messaging at a time when it matters most.

The approach is intentionally practical. A series of ready‑to‑use posters has been developed, designed to be easily displayed in toilets, car parks, public spaces and other visitor hotspots. For some, this will be a simple refresh of existing signage ahead of the peak season; for others, it may provide a straightforward starting point for communicating expectations more clearly.

There is also a wider value in adopting a shared message. Visitors do not move through Fife as a collection of individual locations; they experience it as a single destination. Consistency in how responsible behaviour is communicated — whether in a café, a coastal car park or a countryside attraction — helps to set expectations early and reinforce them throughout a visitor’s stay.

As with many aspects of destination management, the impact of this work is cumulative. No single sign or message will resolve the issue on its own, but a coordinated approach across businesses, communities and public spaces can significantly reduce pressure on the environment and infrastructure.

In that sense, the campaign speaks to something broader. It is not simply about waste or facilities, but about shared responsibility — between those who welcome visitors and those who come to enjoy what Fife has to offer.

And, as the campaign itself suggests, when nature calls, the response is not just practical. It is a reminder that even the smallest actions play a part in protecting the places that make the Kingdom what it is.

View Nature Calls poster resources