 Scottish business players have been told to play a more vibrant role in prevention and reduction of waste as the best way to contribute to sustainable growth. This is highlighted in a government report published last week, a paper the government seeks to use in implementing policies that will strike a waste management balance between the Scottish business sector and the local authorities. The report is part of the government’s initiatives aimed at driving a zero waste agenda which includes a target to ensure only 5% of waste is taken to the landfill, by 2025. The Scottish business sector will be expected to play a critical role in the country’s waste management plan which also seeks to borrow implementation lessons from certain Europe countries where about 15% of household waste management costs are funded by producer responsibility schemes. The report indicates that the Scottish business sector should ensure their waste is properly managed at the end of production. A statement by environment secretary Richard Lochhead said local authorities have been playing a central role in waste management but it is now high time that Scottish business came on board to prevent waste and encourage recycling, particularly manufacturers and retailers. Lochhead observed that Scottish businesses should now see waste as a resource that can even contribute to expansion and more job creation. The report comes at a time when an interim report by the UK Environmental Law Association and King's College London warns that several areas of environmental legislation are complex, hard to access, comprehend and implement; including Scotland’s policy on waste. |