Scottish Executive hands 14 million to five councils

The funding will be used to improve recycling, waste management facilities and kerbside collection services to build on the targets of the National Waste Plan.

The Scottish Executive allocated 6 million between all councils in 2002 (see letsrecycle.com story) for initiatives to increase recycling as well as specific awards to eight councils totalling 110 million for the period up to 2020.

Announcing the awards, minister for environment and rural development Ross Finnie said: “This second major tranche of funding from the Strategic Waste Fund will make a significant contribution in taking forward the Executive's commitments to increase recycling and composting to 55% by 2020, and reduce our reliance on landfill by 60%. The plans we are now funding have been drawn up in partnership with local communities, neighbouring councils and the not-for-profit sector. This substantial funding will support urgent action to bring about real improvements in communities covered by the councils.”

The full details of the funds announced are as follows:

• South Lanarkshire council: 7.166 million over 3 years;
• Fife council: 5.38 million over 3 years;
• East Renfrewshire council: 934,000 over 3 years;
• North Lanarkshire council: 618,250 this financial year;
• West Lothian council: 67,000 this financial year.

South Lanarkshire council will receive 7.166 million over 3 years to implement domestic segregated and bulky uplift collection systems, as well as improvements to civic amenity sites and the introduction of a local environmental marketing and publicity campaign.

Currently recycling and composting 12% of its waste, the council aims to reach and offer kerbside collections to over 80,000 households. An additional award for the council to fund a green waste collection is yet to be finalised.

Fife council will receive 5.38 million over 3 years to fund paper and green waste kerbside collection schemes, as well as improving the provision of community recycling banks and civic amenity recycling centres. This will enable Fife Council to recycle and compost an additional 124,000 tonnes of material and increase kerbside collections to 160,000 householders.

East Renfrewshire council will get 934,000 over 3 years to fund green waste and dry recyclables kerbside collection schemes. The council will also use the money to employ a waste minimisation officer and start a waste awareness campaign. The council believes the funding will allow it to recycle and extra 13,075 tonnes of waste each year.

Other awards to be paid out this financial year went to North Lanarkshire council and West Lothian council. North Lanarkshire will receive 618,250 for mobile educational facilities, further research and extending the piloting of the kerbside collection of glass and green waste to over 15,000 households. West Lothian is to get 67,000 for household recycling collection containers.