In 2000/01, local authorities in Scotland had an average recycling rate of 6.9% and this additional funding should help lift Scotland off the bottom of the European recycling league. The 1million has been awarded to support sustainable waste management projects across Scotland. The funding has been distributed by Shanks' Landfill Tax Credits fund called Shanks first fund, which is administered by EB Scotland.
Six separate awards are being made which cover all aspects of recycling. Funding has been given to develop the waste minimisation and environmental placement programme in the North of Scotland and will also enable a waste collection infrastructure to be set up in Falkirk, Stirling and West Lothian.
Grants have also been given to develop compost standards and specifications, to extend a farm plastic recycling programme to Argyll and Bute and Dumfries and Galloway and to develop an advance filtration media (AFM) for water using recycled glass. Shanks first fund has also provided support for a three-year extension of the Remade Scotland programme.
Billy Walker, chairman of EB Scotland, said: “Our policy is to enhance society’s management of waste and enhance community assets. In order to create markets for recyclable materials, it is important to align the key areas of collection, process and market development, hence the reasons for choosing these projects.”
Remade Scotland is one of the projects to receive funding and Professor Jim Baird of Remade Scotland said: “This commitment, added to the support of all our partners, will allow us to build on the significant work of Remade to date. It will also help us attract further investment, as well as creating jobs and allowing us to maximise our resources.”
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