The research, which is being undertaken by the Scottish Waste Awareness Group (SWAG), has so far involved interviews with around 5000 people in 16 local authority areas across the country. 83% said they would be willing to participate in schemes designed to help them recycle more – but only if they could put materials outside their homes for kerbside collection.
Lack of recycling facilities, lack of knowledge of the whereabouts of facilities, and the distance to the facilities were cited as reasons for non participation in current recycling schemes.
Presenting the findings, Dr Nicki Souter of SWAG said:
“As SEPA’s Chairman Ken Collins has already said, Scotland’s poor record on recycling makes us the laggards of Europe. My research is showing that there is strong support amongst the Scottish public to help improve that record – we need to capitalise on that support. I hope these findings can inform the development of Scottish waste strategy nationally and locally, so we can all play our part in improving the way Scotland deals with its waste.”
The fundings were discussed at a major conference on Scotland's waste strategy hosted by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Jointly organised with the Scottish arm of the Institute of Wastes Management, the conference focused on how Scotland can improve its performance not only in recycling but also in reducing the amount of waste it produces in the first place.
Sustainable
“I make no bones about it – our performance on waste makes us the laggards of Europe,” said SEPA Chairman Ken Collins. “If we don’t get better we will fail to comply with various EU Directives, and let me assure you that such Directives are not some bureaucratic imposition generated by Brussels, they represent a move towards a more sustainable future for our country. In taking forward the National Waste Strategy – Scotland and other initiatives, SEPA aims to make sure that Scotland’s environment is once again recognised as being one of the finest in the world. This conference represents a stepping-stone in this direction.”
A recent report from the Audit Scotland organisation reported that 6% of household waste in Scotland was recycled last year (2000/2001), a 1% improvement on the previous year. Across Scotland, 92% of household waste went to landfill which was a small
improvement on the previous year (a reduction of 1%). Almost 2% – the same amount as the
previous year – was used for recovery of heat, power or other energy
sources.
It also noted that across Scotland, the average gross cost of refuse collection per premise
was 45.63, broadly the same as the previous year (45.23). The cost
varied significantly amongst councils from 31 (Aberdeenshire) to 72 (Eilean Siar). The average gross cost of disposal per premise was slightly over 44, varying from 28 at Dumfries & Galloway to 102 at Orkney Islands.
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