NFU Scotland
Could the prospect of a Private Member’s bill help tackle the unsightly blight of flytipping in Scotland’s countryside?
Asks NFU Scotland’s Environmental Resources Manager Sarah Cowie
The all-to-frequent, dreaded scourge of abandoned, sometimes dangerous, waste is not simply an eyesore on Scotland’s beautiful countryside; it can, and does, cause harm to livestock, crops, nature and wildlife. It is an issue that farmers are having to deal with more often, costing them not just in terms of money but also large amounts of their time. Despite recycling centres re-opening, flytipping and illegal dumping incidents are still being recorded daily by NFU Scotland members. Cases in the past year alone have included rotting meat, hazardous asbestos waste, domestic appliances, household waste, builder’s rubble, garden cuttings, pallets, and garage waste including tyres and car batteries lined with poisonous lead. Late July resulted in some welcome, and promising, discussions to target the problem. A workshop brought together
key stakeholders including the Scottish Government, Zero Waste Scotland, SEPA, local authorities and national parks, among others. Also, Murdo Fraser Conservative MSP held a roundtable with NFU Scotland, the Woodland Trust, Scottish Land & Estates, Police Scotland and Keep Scotland Beautiful to discuss ways to tackle flytipping. He believes that fly tipping is such a major issue across Scotland that action needs to be taken in the form of a Members’ Bill to change the law when it comes to dealing with those responsible. Such positive action to tackle flytipping is something NFU Scotland would wholly support. Key issues relating to flytipping including improving how the issue is reported and dealt with; how data on flytipping is collated and shared; stronger penalties to act as a deterrent; and introducing extended producer responsibility on
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the most commonly flytipped items. While there are many innovative and creative ideas, there is no one single “silver bullet” to tackle the issue of flytipping and what is instead required is a joined-up and collaborative approach which looks at everything from accessibility of household waste recycling to the latest technology that allows people to report flytipping with ease. The members’ bill could consider changes to the law, shifting the liability for cleanup to the source of the waste rather than the innocent landowners. NFU Scotland welcomes the positive discussions that have taken place recently and will continue to work with stakeholders including the Scottish Government, Zero Waste Scotland and Murdo Fraser and other MSPs to help to find positive solutions that will end the blight of flytipping that affects farmers, rural communities, and the natural environment.
dairy £21m to make dairy industry cream of the crop A digital dairy project aiming to create 600 new jobs in South-West Scotland and Cumbria has been awarded more than £21 million of funding. Led by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), it is expected the Digital Dairy Value-Chain could generate an additional £60m a year for a region which produces nearly two billion litres of milk a year. Globally, the industry produces around 3 per cent of greenhouse gases related to human activity. As well as helping to decarbonise the region’s dairy industry, the project will help to develop and retain a skilled and innovative workforce in the area to create new products and new ways of working. These will be special to the region but also globally relevant in best practices and changing the perception of dairy as a high-value product. Working with partners operating in the region, including the University of Strathclyde, University of the West of Scotland, CENSIS, First Milk, Lactalis UK & Ireland, Kendal Nutricare, Cows & Co Group, National Milk Records and SmartSTEMS, the project will provide a platform for research and business innovation in advanced, sustainable, highvalue production and processing. The project team will work with the dairy industry to develop and implement technologies for sensing and data handling, as well as infrastructure to support innovation and growth for local businesses, nurturing young entrepreneurs and teaching and training of new skills and capabilities.
