No overnight answer to waste funding shortfall for Scotland

Responding to a study by consultants Enviros Aspinwall, Ms Boyack said: “The research report showed the size of the task we face by identifying that if the growth in waste production continues we will effectively have to compost or recycle some twelve times more than the current rate by 2010. This will increase to twenty times more by 2016 and twenty five times more by 2020.”

But she told the Scottish Parliament last week that it is clear that “not all this expenditure can be provided overnight. But, I am pleased that the Executive has been able to commit considerable resources to allow local authorities to start to bring about real change in the way we deal with our waste.”

Giving details of specific spending on recycling and waste management in Scotland, the Minister said that Scotland is to get an extra 56m to help grow recycling and improve waste management.

The announcement by Sarah Boyack, Minister for Transport and the Environment, came in the wake of the announcement last week by Prime Minister Tony Blair of 50 lottery funding for recycling in the UK.

Ms Boyack said the funds would be spent in four ways:

– 50.4 million Strategic Waste Fund over three years offering grants to local authorities for implementation of the National Waste Strategy Scotland.

– 3 million to be distributed amongst all local authorities to kick-start the Strategic Waste Fund in this financial year.

– 2.1 million over three years for Scotland to become a partner in the UK-wide Waste Resource Action Programme (WRAP), helping develop recycling programmes.

– 400,000 for innovative projects or groups working on waste prevention, re-use, recycling and composting.

Commenting on the new funding, the Minister said: “For years we have disposed of our waste in the cheapest way possible, simply dumping it in landfill sites. To create a better environment, we need to change the way we deal with waste, investing in modern facilities to bring Scotland's waste management into the 21st century.

“Research shows the reality we face in the future. If the growth in waste production continues, in the next ten years we will have to recycle or compost at least 12 times more than at present. There must be a new focus on reuse, recycling, composting and energy recovery.

“Last year I adopted a National Waste Strategy for Scotland. That Strategy is now beginning to become a reality. The spending review has provided some of the significant resources which will be needed to bring about the long term change which is necessary if we are to meet our EC obligations for diversion of waste from landfill.”