The City of Edinburgh Council has been awarded £19,000 to support the recycling of Expanded Polystyrene at Household Recycling Centres.
The £70 million Recycling Improvement Fund (RIF) was launched by the Scottish Government in 2021 to provide grants to local authorities for improving recycling infrastructure and services. The Council has been awarded funding under the Small Grants Scheme which is targeted at strengthening local authority collection systems.
Following successful trials at our three household waste recycling centres (Seafield, Craigmillar, Sighthill), the funding will support the continued collection of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS).
EPS, a lightweight foam material, is rarely recycled and would otherwise need to be disposed of by energy recovery, which involves burning the waste at high temperatures.
The funding will see the creation of an external storage area at one of the council sites which will be more space efficient and help to make the collection permanent.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Committee Convener, said: “I’m delighted that we’ve secured essential funding to improve our recycling services. As Scotland’s capital, we’re determined to play our part in the global fight against climate change by managing waste in the most sustainable way possible.
“Our target to be a net-zero city by 2030 is bold and ambitious but we’re continuing to make progress. Recycling is something we can all do to help Edinburgh reduce its emissions and create a healthier planet for ourselves and future generations.
“We must work together with the Scottish Government to achieve our shared ambitions and support both Edinburgh and Scotland’s transition to net-zero.”
Zero Waste Scotland’s Recycling Improvement Fund Manager David Gunn said: “We’re proud to be working with the Scottish Government to support the City of Edinburgh Council to access Recycling Improvement Fund grants and to work with them to successfully implement their project.
“By recycling as much as possible, we can all help reduce carbon emissions, tackle climate change, and ease the pressure placed on the planet.
“The council’s award will help improve its recycling infrastructure and services, benefitting residents and taking Scotland forward on its journey to becoming a circular economy.”
Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: “Recycling has a huge role to play in Scotland’s response to the climate crisis.
“Since launching in 2021, hundreds of thousands of people across the country have benefitted from projects supported through our £70 million Recycling Improvement Fund – one of the biggest investments in a generation to modernise recycling in Scotland.
“I am delighted that this latest round of funding will make it easier for many more households across Scotland to recycle their waste, boosting local recycling rates.”
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