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This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007

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Recycling in the Highlands

30/11/2004

Five community recycling initiatives in the Highlands have been allocated more than £550,000 to begin operating.

Groups in Caithness, Golspie, Inverness, Lochaber and Ross-shire will further develop initiatives including furniture re-use schemes as well as textile, plastic and paper recycling.

The awards are from the Executive's Strategic Waste Fund and are in addition to £49 million recently allocated to Highland Council.

Environment Minister Ross Finnie said:

"The Scottish Executive is committed to transforming the country's record on waste reduction, recyling, composting and recovery. This £500,000 will help ensure that many Highland citizens have access to more locally based 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 easier for Scots with new and improved kerbside facilities, recycling bins and other services being provided across the country.

"Because of its large, widely dispersed population, Highland Council faces a number of significant challenges in providing recycling and composting services to its citizens.

"The £500,000 I announce today will provide crucial resources to ensure the involvement of the area's community sector will assist in the successful provision of these services.

"By providing this additional funding we are helping people in the Highlands meet their targets for waste minimisation, recycling and reduction in landfill.

"We are determined to provide Scots with much more sustainable ways of managing their waste."

The £552,983 is distributed among:

  • Blythswood Care in Rosshire is to divert an additional 911 tonnes of household waste material such as, clothing, bedding, textiles, bric-a-brac and bicycles from being sent to landfill. £184,688

  • Lochaber Environmental Group will divert from landfill additional household waste for re-use through the existing 'Refurnishing Scheme' which provides free of charge household furnishing to those in need. Some 2,133 households will receive assistance. £88,324

  • Inverness Newstart will develop the Inverness Furniture Recycling Service to significantly increase the additional amount of waste they divert from landfill from 108 tonnes to 372 tonnes and will assist 2,350 households in 2006. £94,745

  • Golspie Recycling and Environmental Action Network (GREAN) will continue to operate and expand it's waste paper and recyclables processing and community composting schemes. An additional 256 tonnes will be diverted from landfill in 2006. £85,156

  • HomeAid Caithness will recycle household items from the waste stream for the benefit of low income groups in Caithness and Sutherland. It is estimated that an additional 260 tonnes of waste will be diverted from landfill in 2006. £100,072

Page updated: Tuesday, November 30, 2004