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5. Local Authorities
Local authorities have a central role to play in influencing household waste generation. The Waste Aware Scotland programme provides a framework for local authorities to promote a variety of reduce and reuse messages. Following the recent improvements in relation to the collection of recyclate, many authorities have already moved to fortnightly collections of residual waste (which mainly goes to landfill). As well as supporting work on recycling, this also helps to reduce the overall amount of waste collected (eg by encouraging home composting).
Several respondents to the consultation were supportive of the Executive providing advice on the size of residual bins and frequency of collections, although it was acknowledged that local needs would have to be taken into account. Many were also supportive of a review of the existing legislation on the types of waste for which local authorities may make a charge when they collect it. From those commenting, there was majority support for further research to be done on direct variable charging to address issues such as enforcement, impact, cost and technologies.
WRAP run a number of courses for local authority and community sector recycling managers one of which is focused on waste prevention. All the courses are open to Scottish-based bodies. More details can be found on the corporate events section and on the Local Authority pages of the WRAP website ( www.wrap.org.uk).
The following actions are proposed for local authorities:-
Action 15:SE will provide advice to local authorities on size of residual bins, frequency of residual collections and use of receptacles for recycling, taking into account local variations.
Action 16: SE, working with SEPA, will review annually the possibility of introducing further landfill bans on materials (Annex D).
Action 17: SE, working with SEPA, will review the existing regulations (the Controlled Waste Regulations 1992) which allow charges to be made by local authorities for the collection of specific types of household waste.
Action 18: SE will issue guidance to local authorities on mainstreaming waste prevention into Service Level Agreements / Contracts.
Action 19: SE will consider further with local authorities and others the role of incentives in recycling / waste prevention.
Action 20:SE will consider, as part of Spending Review 2007, if further resources should be allocated to waste prevention specifically and how resources should be allocated to ensure waste is prevented.
Waste Charging
N.B. Any moves to introduce direct variable charging for household waste will not take place without further full and detailed consultation. SEPA has commissioned a research study on Direct Variable Charging for Waste which will examine issues such as enforcement, impact, cost and technologies. We will continue to monitor progress on waste charging in other areas of the UK / EU.
Local Authority waste
Although not household waste, the Scottish Executive has provided local authorities with resources to enable them to carry out audits of their own waste and draw up internal waste prevention plans. One local authority, for example, has indicated that it can reduce its own waste by around 600 tonnes. If this was replicated across all 32 local authorities, this would suggest a reduction of around 19,200 tonnes.
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