This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Action plan to cut business waste
13/03/2007
Plans to save Scottish business more than £7.5 million a year and reduce the amount of business waste generated by at least 200,000 tonnes were published today.
The Executive and Scottish Environment Protection Agency's Business Waste Framework will concentrate on specific actions to reduce business and industrial waste, which accounts for around 16 million tonnes a year.
Environment Minister Ross Finnie said:
"Businesses have a direct economic incentive to reduce waste. Landfill is not going to get any cheaper - the standard rate of landfill tax will go up to £24 a tonne from April.
"Now is the time for businesses to act and move towards more sustainable waste management. The unnecessary use of raw materials and the costs of arranging for the collection and disposal of waste impact on business' bottom line.
"Government does have a responsibility in relation to business waste. Around 80 per cent of Scotland's waste is commercial or industrial, so our Business Waste Framework outlines what we are doing and how we can shape better solutions for business waste management."
Key points in the Framework are:
- Continued work with organisations, such as Envirowise, to provide advice to business on waste minimisation, helping prevent over 200,000 tonnes of business waste being produced each year and saving Scottish business over £7.5 million a year
- Further work to improve recycling services for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)
- Action by SEPA to improve the data on business waste and publish a waste data strategy
- Work with trade associations on business resource efficiency
- Consideration of further landfill bans to encourage a move away from landfill towards sustainable waste management
Mr Finnie added:
"We have made good overall progress on recycling, but we need to do more on helping SMEs recycle. We also need to work with trade associations to help business understand that sustainable waste management saves money. This Framework will help to ensure business can reduce the unnecessary use of our valuable resources."
Niall Stuart of the Federation of Small Businesses Scotland said:
"Rising costs mean waste disposal is increasingly important to small businesses. We are delighted that work has begun on collecting recyclate from small business but there is always more that can be done. We look forward to working with the Executive, local authorities and others in this area to reduce business waste costs and help businesses become more environmentally friendly."
The Framework was developed following the Consultation on the Sustainable Management of Waste From Business and in conjunction with the National Business Waste Working Group which includes representatives from business, local authorities, the community sector, waste management industry and business support organisations.