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Business Support
Overall Aim
Saving businesses in Scotland over £7.5m a year through waste minimisation and diversion from landfill.
The polluter pays principle dictates that waste producers must pay for the waste they produce. However, Government assists business by supporting a range of initiatives to provide information and advice to business on resource efficiency, including waste minimisation and recycling. A list of the main programmes can be found in Annex A of the Green Jobs Strategy at www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/917/0013158.pdf. SEPA also support NetRegs ( www.netregs.gov.uk/), which gives advice on waste regulation.
As outlined in the Green Jobs Strategy, a study into the remit and role of bodies providing advice in resource efficiency is currently being undertaken by Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department in the Executive with support from SEPA. This will report by June 2007.
Financial support for businesses to develop recycling infrastructure may be available. (For more detail on capital support see the chapter on Infrastructure and Planning). More general grant schemes, such as Regional Selective Assistance ( RSA), can cover waste related projects. Even if the project is not waste related where the RSA application is for more than £1 million the company must engage with support bodies to look at resource efficiency issues. The Executive will look to impose similar requirements for Structural Funds applications.
For many businesses, whether start-ups or established companies, their first source of information will be the Scottish Enterprise Network, often through their local Business Gateway or equivalent in the Highland region. Business advisors need to be aware of the specialist business advice that can be provided on resource efficiency, and the savings that can be made. One way of doing this is through the environmental module of the Premier Advisor Scheme. Scottish Enterprise and HIE will ensure that systems will be put in place so that all of their advisers, when appropriate, can signpost to specialist advice on resource efficiency. The Business Gateway website already signposts to resource efficiency bodies ( www.bgateway.com).
Another source of advice for SMEs is local authorities. Many local authorities collect business waste, and therefore employ trade waste officers. As indicated in the section on SME collections, the Executive and SEPA will discuss with Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) what support trade officers require. In particular, as indicated by the consultation responses, the Executive and SEPA consider that local authority officers should, where appropriate, be encouraged to signpost companies to specialist business advice on resource efficiency.
The Scottish Waste Awareness Group ( SWAG) provides a free web-based facility for businesses to access a range of resource efficiency information. The Waste Aware Business website ( www.wasteawarebusiness.org.uk) contains information to help businesses to reduce, reuse and recycle their waste.
Trade Associations and business organisations are another source of advice used by businesses. For example, the Federation of Small Businesses and Envirowise ( www.envirowise.gov.uk) have worked together to provide practical advice and tools to help companies minimise waste and save money. The Executive and SEPA will work with Envirowise and other resource efficiency bodies to see if there is further scope to work with trade associations and business organisations on resource efficiency.
Business also receives information from other sources, such as accountants. Envirowise will work with accountancy institutions and other bodies providing financial advice to business, to ensure they are aware of the financial benefits of resource efficiency.
As a further incentive to improve performance and show environmental innovation, there are award schemes to promote, encourage and reward exceptional commitment to the environment e.g. VIBES ( www.vibes.org.uk) and the Environmental Placement Programme ( www.thebep.org.uk/index.php?page=epp-home).
SEPA provides training on waste minimisation and resource efficiency to SEPA staff (e.g. staff working on PPC permits) that have regular contact with industry. These training courses are also offered to other appropriate organisations e.g. business advisors from Local Enterprise Companies. The courses are delivered regionally so that they can account for local variations.
The public sector also has a major role to play. It can reduce its own waste and set an example. The Executive has provided local authorities with support to undertake waste audits and draw up their own waste prevention plans. It is estimated that local authorities across Scotland could reduce their waste arisings by around 19,200 tonnes.
The Minister for Environment and Rural Development has also written to public bodies requesting that they specify recyclate when procuring construction or paper contracts, helping to stimulate the supply chain and securing markets for the extra recyclate that is being collected.
The public and private sectors are involved in staging major sporting, music and arts events. As well as generating significant amounts of waste these events also provide an opportunity to showcase excellence in waste management. The Executive will contact major organisers to promote sustainable waste management.
What is currently happening:
2.1 The Executive, SEPA and Scottish Enterprise support a range of bodies which provide advice on resource efficiency. A list of the main initiatives can be found in Annex A of the Green Jobs Strategy www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/06/1693437/34386.
2.2 Scottish Enterprise has developed an environmental module to the Premier Advisor scheme which will ensure business advisors are aware of environmental issues.
2.3 SEPA provides guidance and training on environmental legislation and obligations through NetRegs www.netregs.gov.uk/.
2.4 The Executive, with support from SEPA, is reviewing the remit and role of resource efficiency bodies to ensure a coordinated package of support to business. This will report by June 2007.
2.5 SWAG provides a free web-based portal for businesses ( www.wasteawarebusiness.org.uk) including information on waste management services.
2.6 Best practice is being promoted through environmental award schemes such as VIBES and the Environmental Placement Programme.
2.7 SEPA is providing specialist training on waste minimisation for SEPA staff and teams within other organisations who have regular contact with Business and Industry www.sepa.org.uk/wastemin/index.htm.
2.8 The Executive and SEPA are promoting resource efficiency in the public sector through waste audits and advice from Envirowise.
What will happen:
2.9 The Executive will use Structural Fund grant conditions for projects supported under the 2007-2013 programmes to ensure businesses use resource efficiency services, including waste minimisation.
2.10 Envirowise will seek to promote resource efficiency through existing forums and Trade Associations. A progress report will be provided by Envirowise by the end of 2007/08.
2.11 Envirowise will promote resource efficiency through bodies which regularly offer advice to business, such as accountants and financial advisers. A progress report will be provided by Envirowise by the end of 2007/08.
2.12 The Executive will contact major sporting events and arts / music events by June 2007 to promote sustainable waste management.
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