This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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25 per cent recycling target by 2006
12/09/2002
Local authorities should be able to recycle 25% of municipal waste by 2006, the Executive announced today.
As part of the Spending Review, more than £170 million has been committed to waste management to increase the proportion of waste recycled and composted four-fold the current proportion of 6 per cent.
The target is to be included in the Executive's National Waste Strategy.
£140 million has been allocated for the Strategic Waste Fund, to be used to support both capital and current expenditure by local authorities on the implementation of Area Waste Plans.
Over £21 million is allocated for other initiatives, including recycling market development and waste minimisation and handling and disposal of waste fridges and hazardous waste.
Around £10m will fund additional work by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in regulating waste, implementing the National Waste Strategy and to take account of inflationary pressures on existing local authority waste expenditure.
Environment Minister Ross Finnie said:
"This spending review is about our investment in Scotland's future, improving the quality of life of our people and our communities. Scottish people want to recycle much more their waste, rather than know it is all just dumped in landfills. With the extra funding announced today, the Executive has now allocated over £230m over 3 years to the Strategic Waste Fund to helpfor local authorities to implement the National Waste Strategy.
"I expect to see our figures for recycling and composting of municipal waste tofigures increase from an inadequate 6% to around 25% by 2006. This ambitious target is a key milestone on the way to further increases in future. I have also announced another £21m extra for initiatives in areas like waste reduction and recycling market developmentthat will complement the Waste Strategy and help these targets be achieved.
"Sustainable development cuts across all our priorities to safeguard the environment for everyone in the future. One of the most real examples of this is our commitment to improve waste management. It is time for real change, and we are providing real money to make this happen."
"But people cannot just sit back and expect these changes to happen. We all produce waste, from our households and at work. Everyone has a part to play in tackling the waste mountain. So I want local authorities to help in finalising the Area Waste Plans without delay and to work in partnerships to deliver economies of scale.
"Businesses can help by green procurement, using recycled materials to save valuable resources and reducing their waste. And individuals can play their part, by reducing, reusing and recycling where they can. This is the message we are giving out in the next stage of our "do a little: change a lot" campaign which was first shown on TV this month."
The Executive adopted the National Waste Strategy in December 1999.
The Strategic Waste Fund was set up to allow specific grants to be paid to local authorities to implement 11 Area Waste Plans which have been prepared. It now has £16 million allocated for the current year (2002-03), £30.2 million for 20003-04, £90.2 million for 2004-05 and £111.7 million for 2005-06.
The Executive's target would reduce landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste to 1.5 million tonnes in 2006.