SCOTLAND: Finnie announces recycling facilities for island households

Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles Councils are to receive multi-million pound funding to boost recycling.

Almost £15 million from the Executive's Strategic Waste Fund will be used to boost recycling and reduce the waste going to landfill.

Environment Minister Ross Finnie said:

"The Executive is committed to transforming the country's record on waste reduction, recycling, composting and recovery. This funding will help ensure many households across these three islands have access to recycling facilities.

"Our National Waste Plan, which we are backing with significant resources, is beginning to show a real difference on the ground. Every month, recycling becomes increasingly easier for Scots with new and improved kerbside facilities, recycling bins and other services being provided across the country.

"By providing these three councils with this funding we are helping them meet their targets for waste minimisation, recycling and reduction in landfill. We are determined to provide Scots with much more sustainable ways of maneging their waste."

Details of the funding and work to be undertaken are :

Orkney - £4,269,000 over the period 2004/05 - 2019/20

The proposed new waste management arrangements involve expansion of the current recycling centres and construction of two new recycling sites at Dounby and Curister Quarry to serve the West Mainland of Orkney. In addition to expansion of kerbside recycling collection, Orkney Island Council intend to run a comprehensive scheme of waste prevention.

Shetland - £5,871,884 over the period 2004/05 - 2019/20

The proposed new waste management arrangements involve expansion of the current recycling centres to take drink cans and glass in areas not covered by a new kerbside collection scheme. The kerbside scheme will collect drink cans and glass in Lerwick and Scalloway. In addition, a comprehensive scheme of waste prevention, which includes home composting and recycling of old ink jet cartridges will be complemented by education and promotional campaigns.

Western Isles - £4,086,000 over the period 2004/05 - 2019/20

The proposed new waste management arrangements will result in a significant improvement in recycling performance and will involve:

• expansion of the current bring site network to one in every 250 households;
• introduction of a separated kerbside sort collection service to 7,000 households in Stornoway;
• collection of steel & aluminium cans; glass; paper; and plastics; and sale of recycling materials to markets

Over £230 million in a three year period from 2003 is being invested in the Strategic Waste Fund. These funds are being provided to local authorities to improve recycling and composting facilities.

The National Waste Plan was published on 24 February 2003 and sets out the Executive's targets for sustainable waste management until 2020, including plans for segregated kerbside recycling waste collection in nine out of ten Scottish homes.

The encouragement of recycling and waste reduction is a key element of the Executive's Environmental "Do a Little, Change a Lot Campaign" - www.dochange.net. As improved local authority recycling services are rolled out, this will be supplemented by local public awareness campaigns.