THIRD FORCE NEWS : FRIDAY 6 AUGUST 2010
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SPOTLIGHTONHOLYROOD
Unprecedented opportunities for the third sector Scotland is on a journey towards zero waste and the third sector needs to be a key player, says Iain Gulland, director of Zero Waste Scotland. IN June this year, the Scottish Government published its Zero Waste Plan – a bold, long-term view on how as a country we will move towards high levels of recycling and waste fewer of the natural resources within our economy. The aim is for 70 per cent recycling of all waste – whether from homes or businesses – and just five per cent to landfill by 2025. This will be achieved by a new, more holistic policy approach which focuses on materials as resources, not waste. First, there will be a new carbon metric, so that recycling or waste reduction performance is no longer just measured by tonnage, instead it will take into account the climate change impacts of materials. This will encourage a new focus on things like plastics, aluminium and textiles which are lower in weight, but higher in terms of their embedded energy. Following on from this, detailed plans will be put in place for how we manage these materials, starting with waste prevention and moving on to collections systems which maximise both quantity and quality, and reprocessing and market development support to recycle materials back into new products, close to home where possible. This will also be backed up with new regulations, including steps to introduce landfill bans and to regulate which materials can be used as inputs for energy from waste plants. However, with such high aspirations, the government also realises that delivering zero waste will need more than policy and regulation – it will need everyone in Scotland to play their part. To this end, the government has established a new support body, Zero Waste Scotland, to bring together sectors of the economy and help them work towards the new targets. Zero Waste Scotland will operate as a one-stop-shop, bringing together seven former Scottish Government funded programmes into an integrated approach, aligned with the Zero Waste Plan. The third sector is very much part of that equation. Throughout 2010/11, Zero Waste Scotland will operate a third sector support programme, which will aim to build on the best that the sector can offer, including creating networks to support the delivery of waste prevention campaigns locally and the repair and reuse of household items destined for landfill. On top of the INCREASE programme, which combines investment and capacity support, this amounts to a focused programme of work designed to help community-led resource management organisations to flourish. Key to this is our relationship with the Community Recycling Network of Scotland (CRNS). The CRNS will continue as an independent membership-led organisation, representing its members and providing a number of important services, but it will also start delivering support services as Zero Waste Scotland. This is a positive
step which will see services to support the third sector fully aligned with those that exist for other sectors. Indeed, one of the government’s main aims through the Zero Waste Plan is to create a level playing field for anyone involved in resource management, be they private sector, local authority or community organisation. For example, action will be taken to make it mandatory for waste collectors to offer certain separate collections, regardless of
sector. While the main driver is about capturing more materials of higher quality, which means they can secure higher value markets, it will also mean better services to end users and allow for a wider range of service providers, including third sector organisations, where there may already be a wealth of skills and experience. So, the journey towards zero waste should bring unprecedented opportunities for the third sector.
Case study – Hebrides Alpha CIC By running recycling services in areas where others can’t reach, Hebrides Alpha CIC is showing how community organisations can play a part in making Scotland a zero waste country. Since December 2007, Hebrides Alpha CIC has provided a fortnightly kerbside collection service to over 120 households in remote and rural areas within the Isle of Lewis. It currently collects over 14 tonnes of plastics, glass and cans from these households a year. Before, householders only had residual bin collections and to recycle they had to travel to a bring site, which could be up to three miles away. Recyclates are delivered to the local authority recycling plant where the plastics and cans are baled for sale to reprocessors and glass is broken down and sold as aggregate for building or chips for patios. It also has 15 textile banks where it collects unwanted items on behalf of Blythswood Care, which sells them for charity or recycles into rags. Robert Sinclair, manager of Hebrides Alpha, sees their role as part of a zero waste ethos.
“We live in a world of limited resources. In the same way that we are careful with the budgets that we have for the year, we should also be very careful with the resources which our planet provides. “All of the goods which we collect via kerbside collections and textile banks are either re-used or recycled which means that they are not returned to landfill but go on to continue their usefulness for many more years.” The project won the Community Recycling Network for Scotland (CRNS) Member of the Year Award for 2010. It is a social enterprise which works with individuals with a history of alcohol and other drug addiction problems, but who are serious about addressing them. CRNS chief executive Pauline Hinchion sees this social and economic dimension as a key driver for zero waste: “The focus on resource maximisation and sustainable economic growth will not only assist Scotland meet its Climate Change Act obligations, but will also create green jobs for many peoples and communities across Scotland.”
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