The funding, taken from Landfill Tax revenue, will help councils “lead by example”, but will also help upgrade recycling points and centres to provide the public with more information about recycling.
Local authorities in Scotland are to audit their own waste and produce waste prevention action plans. The Scottish Executive said it would work with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) to ensure that the funds are well targeted and fit in with local authorities' existing plans.
Announcing the fund, Scotland's environment minister Ross Finnie said: “It's important that authorities lead by example, particularly as they have responsibility for a wide variety of premises such as schools, offices and depots which can generate waste.”
Of the funding received, 500,000 will go towards upgrading recycling points across Scotland with information promoting the Waste Aware Scotland campaign. The campaign is run by the Scottish Waste Awareness Group and provides information on recycling facilities throughout Scotland.
This latest funding initiative comes in addition to the 202 million which has been awarded to the 32 local authorities by the Strategic Waste Fund through to 2005/06.
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