Tag: recycling

Incineration contracts stopping Scots from recycling, says FoE Scotland

New research shows that Scotland’s incineration capacity is so high that it is likely to stop councils from recycling waste. Campaigners are calling for a ban on new incinerators so that councils focus on reducing and recycling waste, rather than sending it up in smoke.

The Scottish Government set up an independent review into incineration which is currently taking place. As part of this, the reviewers have researched whether existing and planned incineration capacity matches Scotland’s projected waste levels.

It shows that if Scotland meets its recycling targets, by next year we will already have more incineration capacity than we need. Even if we make no progress towards these targets, there will still be overcapacity by 2026.

The 2025 ban on sending biodegradable municipal waste to landfill means councils have had to find some other way to dispose of waste. Rather than attempting to reduce the waste through recycling and other measures, councils have signed up to expensive and lengthy incineration contracts.

It is now emerging that the amount of waste councils have agreed to supply is greater than the waste available. This means to fulfil their contracts, councils must supply huge amounts of waste to be burnt, instead of focusing on reducing and recycling.

Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:
“The Scottish Government has unwittingly created the perfect conditions for waste management companies to make as much money as possible from keeping Scotland’s waste levels high. The ban on biodegradable waste to landfill means councils have sought alternative waste management solutions in a hurry.

“Councils have panicked and signed up to contracts that now create a conflict of interests. They are faced with choosing between helping residents reduce and recycle their waste and fulfilling the incineration contracts. Through a lack of strategic thinking, the Government and councils have ensured Scotland’s recycling targets are now much harder to achieve.

“It’s vital we stop burning our valuable resources if we are to bring down the consumption levels that are wrecking the planet. We need to see an end to new incinerators being built in Scotland, and an immediate ban on burning plastics.”

This overcapacity problem is evident at a local level, as well as a national one. Three councils in the North East of Scotland, Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray Councils, have signed a joint contract to build and supply a privately run incinerator. The NESS Energy Project is due to start operating later this year.

The incinerator has been built to take 150,000 tonnes of waste. The Environmental Statement for the project shows this was based on the amount of residual waste generated from the councils in 2016 when planning permission was granted.

However, data from SEPA shows that, even before the plant has opened, there will not be enough household residual waste to supply the plant. The 20-year contracts mean these councils will be looking for more material to burn, rather than supporting residents to reduce and recycle waste.

Scotland is now burning almost as much of its household waste as it is sending to landfill. Household waste statistics published in December show a 33.6% increase in waste being incinerated between 2019 and 2020 – that’s an extra 152,000 tonnes burnt in one year.

As well as burning valuable resources, incinerators contribute to climate change by emitting greenhouse gases from the waste they burn.

To find out more visit: www.foe.scot/campaign/plastic-pollution/incineration/

Recycle, reuse, buy responsibly and have a green Christmas!

The city council is launching a campaign on Monday encouraging residents to recycle and reuse as much of their waste as they can.

The campaign links in with CEC’s campaign asking residents to have a less wasteful Christmas and help reduce their impact on the environment and follows last year’s tremendous effort when residents helped the council recycle 6,722 tonnes of waste – that’s about the same weight as 57,000 Santas – over the festive season!

CEC is also asking people to fold up their cardboard neatly before putting it in the correct recycling bin to make sure they leave enough room for all the extra recycling likely to be generated over the festive season.

If there is no room left, we’d encourage you to make an appointment at your nearest recycling centre and take any extra waste there. If that is not possible, fold it up neatly and place it next to your bin on your collection day.

If you have a large amount of any waste generated please don’t place it next to your bins but book an appointment at your local household waste recycling centre.

The council is also letting residents know there are no changes to waste and recycling collections as Christmas and New Year are on a Saturday this year so they should put their recycling and waste bins out on their usual collection days.

Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Environment Convener, said: “It’s really important that we all do our bit to help the environment and the festive season is a perfect opportunity to get creative and reduce waste by making delicious dishes out of leftovers, making gifts for our loved ones and reusing cards and wrapping paper as festive decorations for future years.

“Many more people are still shopping online due to the current health pandemic which means a lot of cardboard is being used. When clearing up this Christmas, please remember to fold cardboard up neatly and recycle it responsibly and I think it is also important to point out that when shopping remember that while foil and metallic wrapping paper and cards may add sparkle to your Christmas, they can’t be recycled.”

Councillor Karen Doran, Environment Vice-Convener, said: “As well us reusing, buying responsibility and locally where you can, when waste is generated, please help us push up our recycling rates by making sure you clean your plastics before they are recycled to stop contamination and put everything in the correct bin.

“Any food you haven’t turned into lovely leftovers, if you put it in your food waste bin, we turn into energy and fertiliser. Recycling one kitchen caddy of food waste can create enough energy to power a TV for five hours.

“Other fun facts we’re sharing to encourage people to recycle are six clean mince pie foil cases saves enough energy to watch up to an hour of TV and one glass bottle saves enough energy to make 14 slices of toast.

“When the fun is over and you’re taking down your tree, if you are recycling it, check which day we’re collecting trees in your street on our website, remove its base, decorations and cut it in half if it’s over 6ft before popping it neatly on the kerbside on its collection day.”

More information on how to have a green Christmas.

SEPA publishes latest Household Waste statistics

Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) statisticians have published Official Statistics which provide detail of Household Waste collected across all Local Authorities during 2020, as well as waste landfilled and incinerated in Scotland in 2020.

  • COVID impacts likely to be responsible for a 2.9 percentage point reduction in household recycling rates from 2019 to 42%
  • Household waste generated increased 0.3% to 2.4 million tonnes
  • Scottish household waste landfilled reduced by 13.0% to 660,000 tonnes
  • Carbon impact of household waste down 1.3 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent from 2011
  • Reduction of all waste landfilled in Scottish by 13.0% to 2.6 million tonnes
  • Increase of all waste incinerated in Scotland by 3.1% to 1.26 million tonnes

Household waste recycled and landfilled decreases

Scotland’s overall household waste recycling rate reduced from 44.9% to 42% from 2019, and 2.5 percentage points up from the 39.5% achieved in 2011. It is likely that COVID-19 impacts are the main driver behind this reduction.  The total amount of Scottish household waste recycled was 1.02 million tonnes, a decrease of 66,000 tonnes (6.1%) from 2019. 

There was a reduction in the amount of some waste materials recycled, such as construction and soils (reduction of 26,000 tonnes, 14.8%) and composting of vegetal wastes (reduction of 17,000 tonnes, 5.7%), while there was an increase in the amount of other waste materials recycled, such as such as glass wastes (15,000 tonnes, 14.4%) and plastic wastes (8.3%, 5,000 tonnes).

The amount of Scottish household waste landfilled in 2020 was 660,000 tonnes, a reduction of 98,000 tonnes (13.0%) from 2019, and a reduction 794,000 tonnes (54.6%) from 2011. This is the ninth consecutive decrease in household waste landfilled. This decrease is primarily due to more waste being diverted from landfill to incineration and in part less waste being generated.

For 2020, the total amount of Scottish household waste managed by other diversion from landfill was 748,000 tonnes, an increase of 171,000 tonnes (29.7%) from 2019 and an increase of 625,000 tonnes (508%) from 2011.  This includes waste incinerated, incinerator outputs recycled, and organic material recycled that does not meet quality standards.

2020 data reflects a continued downward trajectory since 2011 in Scotland’s household waste carbon impact. The carbon impact of Scottish household waste generated and managed in 2020 was 5.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (TCO2e), which is the equivalent to 1.00 TCO2e per person.

This was a decrease of 225,000 TCO2e from 2019, and a reduction of 1.33 million TCO2e since 2011. This is largely due to increased recycling for high impact waste materials as well as reductions in waste generated and reduced landfilling of biodegradable waste.

Data for every one of Scotland’s 32 local authorities are available on SEPA’s website.

Waste landfilled in Scotland sees continued reduction

The total quantity of waste landfilled in Scotland in 2020 was 2.6 million tonnes, a reduction of 390,000 tonnes (13.0%) from 2019 and a reduction of 4.4 million tonnes (62.9%) from 2005. This is the ninth consecutive reduction in waste landfilled across Scotland. This decrease is primarily due to more waste being diverted from landfill to incineration and in part less waste being generated.

Part of the reduction was largely due to less soils landfilled, which decreased by 340,000 tonnes (29.0%) from 2019.  This is likely a result of reduced construction activity in Scotland due to COVID-19 restrictions during the reporting period.

The waste landfilled in Scotland statistics are available on SEPA’s website

Waste incinerated in Scotland increases

The total quantity of waste incinerated in Scotland in 2020 was 1.26 million tonnes, an increase of 38,000 tonnes (3.1%) from 2019, and an increase of 855,000 tonnes (208%) from 2011. There was, however, a 15.3% reduction (75,000 tonnes) of wood waste incinerated, a likely impact of COVID-19 restrictions such as closure of household waste recycling centres and reduced construction activities during the reporting period.

The waste incinerated in Scotland statistics are available on SEPA’s website

Terry A’Hearn, Chief Executive of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, said: “Last month, the world came to Glasgow to agree global action on the climate emergency.  The message was clear that together, as counties, companies, or communities – we all have a role to play.

“How we use resources in our homes, workplaces, public services and private sector can have a real impact on Scotland’s environment.  Whilst It’s positive that for a ninth consecutive year we see a move from landfill, the latest data does reflect the realism of the public health emergency.

“What’s important is not the past, but what we do next.  We’ve shown that by working together, we can rise to the challenge of a healthcare emergency.  We need now to show that we can do this again in tackling the climate crisis.”

Iain Gulland, Chief Executive, Zero Waste Scotland, added: “There’s little doubt the disruption caused by the COVID_19 pandemic hit recycling efforts in 2020. In particular, the closure of recycling centres in many areas seems to have had the greatest impact. 

“The good news is that the volume of materials collected for recycling at the kerbside increased, showing that there is a keen appetite to recycle more amongst householders. 

“There was a huge collective effort from local authority staff in all departments, as well as private sector resource management companies, to keep the show on the road during the strictest lockdowns, and periods of heavy staff absence. This hard work was very much appreciated by the public. Without all of these efforts, the recycling rate may have been more severely affected.  

Iain Gulland concluded, “As we move out of the initial shock to services caused by the pandemic, we need to redouble our collective efforts to increase the national recycling rate, with improved infrastructure and continued engagement with householders.”

“This is one of the biggest investments in recycling in Scotland in a generation”

£13 million to improve recycling and cut emissions

More than £13 million has been awarded to local authorities to increase the quantity and quality of recycling in Scotland.

Nine more local authorities have successfully bid for support from the Scottish Government’s Recycling Improvement Fund, bringing the total investment to date to £20 million.

The city of Edinburgh will receive £7.7 million for upgrades and expansion to recycling collection services which will see services improved for approximately 130,000 households.

The fund, which will total £70 million over five years, will deliver a step change in Scotland’s recycling performance and help local authorities get ready for future developments, including Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme.

The investment to date could reduce CO2 emissions by as much 21,400 tonnes each year — the equivalent of taking 11,400 cars off the road.

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: “This is one of the biggest investments in recycling in Scotland in a generation.

“By providing the support that’s needed to modernise local recycling infrastructure, we can help local authorities significantly improve their recycling performance.

“That won’t just make it easier for households to recycle more – it will also make an important contribution to meeting Scotland’s ambitious climate targets.

“I look forward to seeing these projects deliver for local communities and the environment, and to further innovative ideas from local authorities on how they can utilise this fund to improve recycling in their area.

“We also want to see materials remain in use for as long as possible before they are recycled. To help make that happen, we will also be introducing an ambitious Circular Economy Bill during this parliament.”

Iain Gulland, Chief Executive, Zero Waste Scotland said: “These awards represent a major new development in Scotland’s recycling story, with nine more impactful projects from across Scotland which make the most of our resources, boosting recycling and the circular economy.

“We’ve been impressed by the thinking from councils and look forward to even more transformational projects being brought forward next year.”

Councillor Steven Heddle, COSLA spokesperson for Environment and Economy said: “Local Government in Scotland is fully committed to combatting climate change and supporting the Just Transition to a net zero society.

“A circular economy is an important part of this.  The Recycling Improvement Fund projects announced today demonstrate the range of work and level of innovation undertaken by Councils here. 

“We are keen to see the full fund supporting a wide range of projects in the next few years that make it easier for our citizens to recycle and reduce waste.” 

The city council has welcomed the announcement.

Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Environment Convener, said: “We really welcome this funding and endorsement from Zero Waste Scotland for our new modern communal waste and recycling service.

“It’s a significant contribution to our overall delivery budget which will help us provide this improved service to around 130,000 residents who live in shared properties and therefore don’t have our kerbside service. 

“The new convenient hubs make recycling easier and more accessible for residents as we’ve grouped all of the different types of waste bins together.”

Councillor Karen Doran, Environment Vice-Convener, said: “This significant funding shows great support for our new communal bin hubs which provide increased capacity, a more reliable and frequent service as well as reducing overflowing bins and street clutter.

“The funding will also be used for new bin sensors and five new electric vehicles for our fleet helping towards Edinburgh’s net zero ambitions and making improvements to our air quality.”

MSPs to examine the role of local government and its partners in delivering a net-zero Scotland

Hot on the heels of COP26, the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee has launched an inquiry that will explore the role of local government and its partners – private and voluntary sectors, social enterprises, and local communities – in both financing and delivering a net-zero Scotland.

MSPs will consider what councils and partners are doing practically to help reach the targets, what skillsets are being used, and what barriers are in their way. They will also probe how councils leverage in capacity and finance from the private sector and look for examples of effective partnership working that is delivering net zero.

The inquiry will focus particularly on the ambitious target of 75% overall reduction in carbon emissions to be met by 2030 (against baselines set in 1990 and 1995).

Speaking as the inquiry was launched, Committee Convener, Dean Lockhart MSP, said: “COP 26 has underlined that government at every level has a role to play in addressing climate change. In Scotland, local government powers span everything from encouraging active travel, to deciding what sort of homes get built in communities, to promoting recycling and a circular economy.

“To get results, local government must partner effectively with business, the voluntary sector and local communities themselves. This is why we want this to be a hands-on inquiry, focusing on the strengths of those relationships and practical steps being taken.

“We need to understand how council budgets are being used to drive action on net zero and how well they are leveraging in skills and private finance. And we need to understand what role the Scottish Government can play to support and – where necessary – to challenge local government to play a full role in the flight against climate change. ”

The Committee has launched a survey looking for views which closes on Friday 21 January 2022.

You can submit views here:

https://yourviews.parliament.scot/ecclr/lg-net-zero-21

Steps toward a Circular Economy

Taking action to reduce waste and its impact

The next steps in creating a circular economy in Scotland have been announced today, as Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater provided an update to parliament.

Actions include the appointment of waste and sustainability expert Dr Colin Church as the independent chair of the review into the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy in Scotland.

To support the review, which forms part of the cooperation deal with the Scottish Green Party, the Minister announced that planning authorities must now notify Scottish Ministers of any applications or decisions involving incineration facilities, until the end of the review period.

The Minister also announced the first round of funding through the Scottish Government’s £70 million Recycling Improvement Fund.

Over £7 million has been awarded to seven local authorities to increase recycling, while preparing for future developments, including Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme.

The Minister provided an update on the delivery of the scheme, noting the challenges posed by Brexit, the pandemic, and a lack of clarity from UK Government on the VAT treatment of deposits. 

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: “A circular economy is at the heart of Scotland’s response to the climate emergency and will help dramatically reduce the amount of waste generated in Scotland.

“We must also find better ways to deal with the waste our economy is currently creating. That’s why I’m pleased that Dr Colin Church will bring his wealth of experience from across the waste and environmental sectors to our review on the role of incineration.

“To make sure that any plans are closely monitored while the review is ongoing, we have issued a temporary notification direction today. This will ensure that Ministers are abreast of any new planning applications or planning decisions relating to incinerators. It is temporary and does not in any way pre-empt the outcome of the review.

“We’re also taking action to transform recycling in Scotland. Our Recycling Improvement Fund will deliver one of the biggest investments in recycling in Scotland in a generation. It will make it easier for households to recycle more, and help to deliver the rates of recycling needed to meet Scotland’s ambitious climate targets.

“We are committed to introducing the UK’s first deposit return scheme, helping to increase recycling, reduce littering, and meet our climate targets. While the scheme has been impacted by Brexit and a global pandemic, we are working intensively with Circularity Scotland and industry to make sure it is delivered effectively.”

Puzzle of plastics: why do some people recycle but others don’t?

Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast have been interviewing people across the region to try to crack the puzzle of why some people recycle and others don’t.

The experts carried out 18 in-depth interviews with people living in Northern Ireland during Autumn 2019.

The findings suggest that some of the reasons that people aren’t recycling plastics are being so busy they don’t get round to recycling, they aren’t clear on what can be recycled, and they can’t see the impact that their recycling could have on the environment. 

The study was part of a larger interdisciplinary grant ‘Advancing Creative Circular Economies for Plastics via Technological-Social Transitions (ACCEPT Transitions)’ led by Professor David Rooney from the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Queen’s. The researchers are also involved in the ‘Clear on Plastics’ campaign, which is being run by the sustainability not-for-profit organisation WRAP.

Dr Emma Berry from the School of Psychology at Queen’s co-led the project alongside Professor Martin Dempster and Dr Debbie Roy. She explains: “In Northern Ireland, people recycle twice as much as they did 15 years ago and 10 per cent of this is plastic.

“For many people, recycling has become part of their everyday routine – we have the bins and collection service, so it’s much easier to do now. Most of us also know its ‘good’ for the environment, so we try to follow the guidelines on putting recyclable products in the right bins. However, while most people recycle, some households do not, so it’s important to understand why this might be.”

Following the research, the experts say there are three common barriers to recycling in Northern Ireland. Firstly, some people felt that with such busy lifestyles, family life, and competing priorities, recycling was often simply at the bottom of the daily agenda – it did not feature in their long list of important day-to-day tasks.

Secondly, people felt that with the enormous range of products and materials available in shops, it can also be tricky to know which products can be recycled and in which bin. Likewise, it is not always clear how to recycle some products if they are made up of multiple materials, such as a cardboard sleeve on a plastic yogurt pot, which need to be separated.

The final common barrier reported was that individuals feel that it’s often difficult to see the impact that small actions such as recycling at home or while out and about, can have on the environment, making small efforts feel pointless.

Dr Bronagh Millar from the Polymer Processing Centre at Queen’s was also involved in the project. She says: “Based on our findings, it’s understandable why many people find recycling baffling. The good news is that recycling does not have to be difficult and time consuming and small efforts do make a difference to our local environment and society.

“Taking small actions like recycling at home, not only helps reduce the amount of waste in local landfill and which gets washed up on beaches, but it is also helping our local economy because recycling supports the generation of local industries and jobs. Old and used packaging isn’t waste, it’s material that can be reformed and used to make more of the same packaging or something different.”

An interesting example of this is Cherry Pipes – a company that manufactures the land drainage pipes that are found in new housing developments, road construction, sports stadia and beyond all made from 100 per cent recycled plastic.

Recycling at home supports this business and the jobs created there and it will also continue to support economic growth as new businesses are formed and flourish in the sector.

Dr Millar adds: “Recycling at home is the best place to start and it’s where most waste comes from – in fact almost 90 per cent of all waste collected in 2019/2020 came from households!

“It’s easy to think that as one individual or family, your recycling won’t make a difference when you feel like loads of other people and companies are not recycling. But if every individual household just increased its recycling even a little bit, it would make a huge difference over time.”

Expert tips to make recycling easier at home:

  1. Place a second bin or a ‘bag for life’ beside your general waste bin (this not only makes recycling easier, but it helps remind you/others in your household to recycle).
  2. Use visual and automatic reminders to give you a nudge to recycle e.g., daily/weekly phone reminders and post-its/signs on or around your indoor bins.
  3. Likewise, create visual reminders of what goes where (visit www.recyclenow.com/local-recycling to find out what you can recycle in your area, or check out your local authority website.
  4. When you aren’t sure about whether certain packages can be recycled, look for the on-pack recycling label which is usually on the bottom or sides of packages and tells us what plastics most local authorities accept. As a rule of thumb, tins/cans, cardboard, and most hard plastics can be recycled.

City council creates new online recycling tool to help you dispose of your waste correctly

We all know that recycling is one small step everyone can take to help the environment and lower our carbon footprint.

As part of this year’s recycling week (September 20-26) we’d like to help you reduce contamination in your bins which can spoil the rest of the contents and stop them from being recycled. We’ll also be promoting top tips for what to put in which bin and more on which plastics you can recycle.

We’ve created an easy-to -use online recycling sorter. You type in an item and it tells you if it can be recycled, which bin to put it in or where to take it – there’s also plenty of tips too.

Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Environment Convener, said: “It’s really important we all get in the habit of disposing of our waste correctly and reusing and recycling where we can. This will all help towards our target for Edinburgh to become a net zero carbon city by 2030.

“To help you sort out your waste and stop even small bits of food and grease in the green recycling bin contaminating other items, like paper and cardboard spoiling the whole bin we’re providing top tips across various platforms,  including our website. Our brand new recycling sorter will also be a really useful guide too.”

Depute Leader, Cammy Day, said: “We’re trying to make recycling as easy as possible for our residents. 

“I know it can be confusing, with so many different kinds of plastics being used in packaging so we’re providing guidance on that and how to dispose of electrical items safely as well! Please check this out to help us recycle more.”

How to make the most of your recycling

Check it

Make sure it’s on the ‘yes please list’.

Empty it

Make sure any bottles or containers are empty. Remember, you can leave plastic drink bottle lids on, but please remove any pump sprays.

Rinse it

Rinse any food and drinks packaging with water before putting it in the bin – you can even use dish water to do this.

Remove it

Peel film lids and coverings off plastic bottles, tubs, pots and trays. Plastic film, wrapping and cellophane can’t be recycled. You don’t need to remove labels though.

Separate it

Don’t store containers and packaging inside each other – it’s difficult to separate them at the recycling plant.

How to recycle your plastics

What to recycle

Whether you use a wheelie bin or a communal bin you can easily recycle plastics in your green lidded bin. Just pop in your empty plastic:

  • bottles (juice, shampoo, household cleaning, toiletry bottles etc)
  • pots (yoghurt etc)
  • tubs (ice cream, butter etc)
  • trays (fruit punnets, ready meal trays etc)

We don’t collect any other type of plastic, so don’t put bags, wrappers, cellophane, toys or any other type of plastic in your green lidded bin.

Before you pop them in the bin remember to rinse the bottles and wash any food off pots, tubs and trays – you don’t need to remove labels, but some bottles come wrapped in a sleeve made from a different plastic. Tear these off and put them in your non-recyclable waste bin.

We accept bottles with or without the tops, but remove pump sprays before putting them in the bin as we can’t recycle them.

What happens to plastic recycling?

Our contractor recycles these in their own recycling plants in England. Anything they can’t recycle is turned into fuel.

Avoiding plastics means less waste

Everything you buy or use has an impact on the environment. Recycling helps to reduce this by reducing how many raw products we use but avoiding producing waste in the first place means even less impact.

Edinburgh has some great refill shops where you can bring your own tubs and bottles and refill them with dried foods, household cleaners and toiletries. Some supermarkets are also starting to develop refill stations in-store.

Plastic bags and wrappers

You can recycle plastic bags at larger supermarkets. They’re starting to collect a wider range of plastic wrappers.

Find out about recycling plastic bags and wrappers.

Large plastic items

We can’t collect and recycle large plastic items at our recycling centres at the moment. This includes items like garden furniture and toys. We’re looking for a reliable recycling company who will take items and we’ll start to collect them again as soon as we can.

You can still take them to one of our recycling centres to dispose of them, but we won’t be able to recycle them.

Other household plastics

Some types of plastics are much harder to collect, either due to their size or because they are made of a mix of materials and need specialist treatment.

Some shops have now started to provide collection points for things like lipstick packaging, pumps sprays and cosmetic packaging in store.

These include

  1. Boots
  2. The Body Shop
  3. Lush.

Not all stores will offer the service, so check their websites to find out what they take and which stores provide this.

How to recycle electrical items:

  • Kerbside bins – to recycle small electricals in Edinburgh you put them in your blue recycling box (which also collects your glass bottles and jars) if you have one. You can put in batteries (in clear plastic bags) and small electrical items like a hairdryer).
  • You can also use this website to find out where to https://www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk/
  • For reusable items try to use an organisation such as the Changeworks reuse tool to find charities where you can donate them.
  • Take larger items to your nearest recycling centre and remember to book an appointment.
  • Various shops will also collect and recycle small electrical items.

You can also search the city council’s new online recycling sorter to find out what to do with your unwanted electricals.

Let’s Talk Waste: Saving the Planet in just six minutes!

Share sustainability hacks at The Leith Collective’s ‘Let’s Talk Waste’ event 

The climate is in crisis and every second counts. But what if all it took was just 6 minutes of your time to help turn things around? Local Edinburgh businesses, artists, and makers are being invited to give just a few minutes of their time to share their top tips at a special ‘Let’s Talk Waste’ event in the capital later this month.

Brought to you by The Leith Collective – crafters, makers, artists and business owners will come together on Thursday 23rd September to discuss ways in which they are reducing their waste and making a difference.

Taking place at Ocean Terminal, the evening will feature a diverse range of speakers; from a maker who creates unique works of art from items otherwise destined for landfill, to a sustainable refill shop, Weigh To Go, and local plant shop, Seb’s Urban Jungle.

The timing of the event is perfect, falling in the middle of Recycle Week, running 20th – 26th September, the aim of which is to galvanise the public into recycling more of the rights things, more often.

It also comes just a month ahead of the crucial COP26 summit which The Leith Collective’s founder, Sara Thomson, will be attending as one of 13 specially selected One Step Greener ambassadors. Her role there will be to share how she is doing her bit to tackle climate change and inspire others to follow suit. 

Commenting ahead of ‘Let’s Talk Waste’, Sara Thomson explained: “The event is part of The Leith Collective’s ongoing sustainability campaign which aims to encourage people to reuse, recycle and relove everyday items, and we wanted to open up the platform to as many local businesses and artists as possible to help spread the message of sustainability far and wide. 

“Knowledge is power, and by sharing inspirational stories and exchanging top tips in this accessible, easy-to-digest 6-minute format, everyone can learn something new, and together we can make a massive difference.”

EVENT INFORMATION

‘Let’s Talk Waste’ will take place at the ex GAP store on the Ground Floor level of Ocean Terminal on Thursday 23rd September, 6pm – 8:30pm. The event is free to attend and refreshments will be provided.

BT reveals almost a third of Scots still don’t know how to recycle unwanted electronics

  • Four out of ten Scots (40%) have cupboards, drawers or bags full of electrical waste
  • Nearly a third (30%) admit they don’t know how to recycle e-waste
  • Research comes as BT recycled nearly a million pieces of equipment, saving 11,430 tonnes of carbon dioxide, as calculated by the Carbon Trust

New research from BT has revealed that almost a third of Scots don’t know how to recycle electrical waste with 40% saying that they have cupboards, drawers or bags full of unwanted electrical equipment.

The news comes as BT reveals it has recycled nearly a million pieces of BT equipment since the start of 2020, preventing nearly 170 tonnes of electrical waste from going to landfill, equivalent to the weight of 13 double-decker buses¹.

The research found that nearly three quarters of Scots (74%) including 76% of Glaswegians and 71% of people living in Edinburgh admit to having thrown electronics into black bin liners committing the goods to landfill rather than taking them to be recycled.

The most common item Glaswegians don’t know how to recycle is games consoles (30%) with those living in Edinburgh agreeing with the majority of Scots saying that it is cables (29%). Hairdryers (27%) and remote controllers (27%) also top the list.

Interestingly, over half of Scots (52%) have engaged in ‘wishful recycling,’ throwing unwanted electronics into the recycling bin in the hope that they will somehow reach a recycling centre.

Jane Wood, BT Group Scotland Director, said: “We made some changes in 2019 that make it compulsory to return broadband routers to us after use, which has really boosted our recycling efforts.

“Thanks to these changes and the commitment of our customers, we’ve prevented the release of 11,430 tonnes of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of 6,000 flights from London to Tokyo¹.”

Andie Stevens, Associate Director at Carbon Trust Advisory, said, “BT makes it easy for customers to return unwanted and unneeded equipment, preventing tonnes of electrical waste and plastic from going to landfill.

“The recycling and refurbishment programme is a great initiative, demonstrating the commitment to circularity and achieving long-term sustainability goals by reducing the carbon intensity of products.”

BT estimates hundreds of thousands of electronic equipment in customers’ homes could be refurbished and recycled. ​

It’s easy for customers to return their equipment to BT – more information is here. 

The top 10 old electrical items Scots store unused at home:

·         46.6% Cables

·         39.2% Hair dryers

·         37.7% Remote controls

·         35.4% Wired headphones

·         33.2% Printers

·         31.1% Games consoles – PS/Xbox/Wii

·         32.7% Broadband hub

·         26.6% TV Set-top boxes

·         24.3% Smart speakers – Alexa’s/Google Homes/Bluetooth

·         17.2% Wi-Fi extenders

For general information on how to recycle electrical items; contact your local authority or for details of local Household Waste Recycling Centres where small electrical items can be recycled visit:

http://www.recycleforscotland.com