This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Funding for National Waste Plan
21/01/2004
A £900,000 funding boost to help deliver targets on
reducing waste was announced today.
The new money will be used to encourage greater
participation in recycling and waste reduction
initiatives.
The funding, over three years, will support the work of
Scottish Waste Awareness Group (SWAG) in increasing public
understanding of waste issues.
Outlining progress on the Scottish Executive's National
Waste Plan objectives during a debate in Parliament, Deputy
Environment Minister Allan Wilson said:
"The Scottish Executive is investing massively to help
put in place the infrastructure for more sustainable waste
management. To date, we have allocated over 95 million
pounds to 23 local authorities.
"We are committed to reducing reliance on landfill and
reclaiming and recycling more of our valuable
resources.
"Achieving these ambitious objectives will depend on a
fundamental shift in public attitudes towards waste. To
help raise awareness of the vital role the public can play
in meeting our targets on reducing, reusing and recycling
waste, we have today announced additional funding to
encourage public participation in local waste
initiatives.
"We will provide the Scottish Waste Awareness Group
(SWAG) with an additional £100,000 this financial year and
£400,000 in each of the next two financial years. This
funding will ensure SWAG can continue to carry out its core
functions. These core functions include the Waste Aware
Scotland programme to raise awareness of the need to
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle waste; providing information on
its website; the provision of a newsletter and consulting
and engaging with the public on waste awareness.
"Promoting waste awareness is a sound investment in
Scotland's future. Moving away from an over-dependence on
landfill will reduce the blight experienced by communities
across Scotland, reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and
create economic opportunities associated with reclaimed
resources."
This funding is subject to the Scottish Executive
formally agreeing SWAG's Business Plan. The funding is
additional to 50,000 pounds which the Executive is already
providing this financial year.
The SWAG website is at
http://www.wascot.org.uk/index.htm
The money announced today replaces money received
through the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme (LTCS). LTCS
funding for SWAG is coming to an end following changes to
the Scheme made by the UK Government. The money the
Executive is providing today is coming out of
consequentials received following the changes to the
Landfill Tax Credit Scheme.
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 recyling and waste reduction is a
key element of the Executive's Environmental "Do a Little,
Change a Lot Campaign". As improved local authority
recyling services are rolled out, this will be supplemented
by local public awareness campaigns.