Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform with Iain Gulland at the launch of Project Beacon at Binn Eco Park.
A GROUND-BREAKING RECYCLING INITIATIVE IN THE HEART OF PERTHSHIRE IS SET TO REVOLUTIONISE HOW WE SORT, PROCESS AND RECYCLE THE MYRIAD PLASTIC WASTES GENERATED ACROSS SCOTLAND, POTENTIALLY PAVING THE WAY FOR AN ENTIRELY NEW MANUFACTURING SECTOR.
BEACON OF HOPE FOR PLASTIC RECYCL GLOBALLY, ONLY
INVEST IN PERTH_AUTUMN 2018
14%
12
has huge potential to create solutions to those problems,” says Iain Gulland, Chief Executive, Zero Waste Scotland. “The £1.7m we invested through the Circular Economy Investment Fund has now been more than matched by the private sector. This is a sign that investors are convinced that circular economy approaches to issues like plastic are not just good for the planet, they are potentially lucrative opportunities. I look forward to seeing the project develop and I hope it will serve as a positive example of the exciting opportunities offered by our country’s growing circular economy.” Plastic is a fantastically versatile and durable material. However, as initiatives get underway to begin to clean up the world’s marine
OF PLASTIC PACKAGING IS COLLECTED FOR RECYCLING
Project Beacon looks set to transform how we manage plastic waste, and in doing so, represents a giant step forward for Scotland as it seeks to move towards a more circular economy. The £8m pilot project, to be trialled at the Binn Eco Park, near Abernethy, seeks to deliver a ‘big solution to a big problem’ by combining innovative mechanical and chemical processes to create a pioneering advanced plastics reprocessing facility. The resulting economic and environmental benefits will help the Scottish Government’s ambitious target to recycle 70% of all waste by 2025. With financial support from Zero Waste Scotland’s Circular Economy Investment Fund, which is supported by the Scottish Government and European Regional Development Funding, as well as private sector backing, the project has the potential to do far more than improve waste management. “I’m delighted that Zero Waste Scotland has been able to play such an instrumental role in making it happen. There’s greater public awareness of the issues caused by plastic waste than ever before – this project