The money is in addition to 50,000 already provided by the Executive for SWAG for this financial year. Subject to the Executive approving SWAG's business plan, the waste awareness organisation will receive an extra 100,000 this financial year and 400,000 for each of the next two financial years.
The new grant replaces the scheme's original funding from the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme, which can no longer finance waste awareness programmes.
SWAG will use the money to support waste minimisation and recycling promotional schemes over the next three years. In particular, the Scottish Executive wants to see higher participation rates in local authority recycling schemes.
Announcing the funding measures yesterday, Scottish deputy environment minister Allan Wilson said: “To help raise awareness of the vital role the public can play in meeting our targets on reducing, reusing and recycling waste, we have today announced additional funding to encourage public participation in local waste initiatives.”
He added: “The funding will ensure SWAG can continue to carry out its core functions. These core functions include the Waste Awareness Scotland programme to raise awareness of the need to reduce, reuse and recycle waste; providing information on its website; the provision of a newsletter and consulting and engaging with the public on waste awareness.”
West Lothian
One of SWAG's projects has been working with West Lothian council on the awareness campaign to support an expansion of a three-bin collection scheme for green waste, dry recyclables and residual waste. The scheme already covers 14,000 properties and is now being rolled out to other areas in the central Scottish county.
In 2001-02, SWAG conducted a consumer waste survey which showed 72% of West Lothian residents were already recycling or wished to recycle more.
SWAG campaign assistant for West Lothian, David Gunn said: “The results of the survey showed that there was a real willingness to recycle by residents in West Lothian. We are now working in partnership with West Lothian council to deliver both the infrastructure and the information residents need to start or increase recycling.”
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