A resource efficient future

The recent launch of our new national programme, Resource Efficient Scotland, which aims to help Scottish business and organisations reduce costs by using resources more efficiently, marks the start of an exciting new journey for Zero Waste Scotland. This comes as businesses realise the need to think more broadly about waste management, considering it as part of a wider shift towards resource efficiency.

We know that by making more efficient use of energy, water and raw materials, Scottish businesses and organisations could deliver over 2 billion of potential savings to the Scottish economy. Resource Efficient Scotland aims to be the vehicle through which these savings can be achieved. Delivered by Zero Waste Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, it is part of a strategy to tackle the ever growing problem of diminishing resources and unnecessary waste in Scotland.

For the first time, the new service will provide a one-stop-shop for advice and support on using energy, water and materials more efficiently to all businesses and organisations in the private, public and third sectors. In doing so, it will make it easier for organisations to get help and realise bigger potential savings and increase competitiveness.

Support

Resource Efficient Scotland will work with a number of key sectors including construction, food and drink, hospitality and tourism and the public sector to provide strategic, tailored support. A dedicated telephone support line and web based advice will be available, in addition to other sources of direct support such as on-site consultancy and support for implementation.

The new programme comes ahead of the implementation of new Waste (Scotland) Regulations which will be coming into force on 1 January 2014, and aims to help businesses and organisations to meet compliance. This is a major change in the way Scotland manages its waste. From this date, all businesses and organisations will be legally required to separate key recyclable materials including paper and card, plastic, metals and glass for collection for recycling.

We know this will be a challenging – but rewarding – task for most, so to help businesses and organisations prepare for these regulations we have created a set of informative, user-friendly, digital support resources, designed to make the transition to the new regulations as smooth as possible. These include online frequently asked questions addressing all the most common queries, and a postcode finder which enables users to find reputable and cost effective waste and resource management services in their local area.

We believe that through the new Resource Efficient Scotland service we will enable companies and businesses within Scotland to be in good shape to meet the new regulations which will ultimately help Scotland achieve the ambitious target set by the Scottish Government of 70% recycling of all waste by 2025.