Tag: Scottish Government

A new deal for tenants: consultation launched

Plans to deliver a new deal for tenants, with stronger rights, greater protections against eviction and access to greener, higher-quality, more affordable housing, have been launched.

The proposals, which are now open to public consultation, aim to deliver a fairer rented sector that meets the needs of tenants and welcomes responsible landlords.

They include:

  • increasing penalties for illegal evictions and stronger enforcement
  • restricting evictions during winter
  • giving tenants greater flexibility to personalise their homes and keep pets
  • developing a national system of rent controls for the private rented sector
  • introducing a new Housing Standard to apply to all homes
  • establishing a private rented sector regulator to uphold these standards and ensure the system is fair for both landlords and tenants
  • setting minimum standards for energy efficiency, making homes cheaper to heat while contributing to Scotland’s climate change targets

The measures form part of the Housing to 2040 strategy, published in March this year, and take forward several commitments made in the co-operation agreement with the Scottish Green Party. The results of the consultation will feed into the final version of the strategy to be published next year, with elements of the proposals put to the Scottish Parliament in a Housing Bill in 2023.

Tenants’ Rights Minister Patrick Harvie said: “Now is the time to do more for people who rent their homes, whether they are renting privately, from the council or from a housing association. Delivering a new deal for tenants is central to our ambitions for a fairer Scotland, tackling child poverty and meeting climate change targets.

“Above all else it will significantly improve the lives of Scotland’s tenants, giving them more stability, more choice over where they live and how they decorate their homes, and the confidence that their home will be of a high quality. At the same time it will recognise the interests of good quality, responsible landlords.  

“We will be working in partnership with landlords, letting agents, tenants and others to deliver this strategy, and we want to gather the broadest range of views. I would encourage anyone with an interest to respond to our consultation.”

Alison Watson, Director of Shelter Scotland, said: “A warm, safe, and permanent home is a right not a privilege for everyone in Scotland. To make this a reality we need to ensure there is enough social housing for everyone who needs it, while strengthening the rights of tenants and empowering people to defend them.

“Shelter Scotland has long called for tenants’ rights and protections, in both the social and private sectors, to be strengthened to make sure no one can be denied their right to a home. Too many renters aren’t aware of their rights or don’t feel confident in enforcing them and that needs to change.

“This is an ambitious strategy, and it offers the chance to mend many aspects of a housing system that is currently failing thousands. We are excited to work with the Scottish Government to develop these ideas and build a better future for housing in Scotland.”

Sally Thomas, Chief Executive of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA), said: “We welcome the Scottish Government’s ambition that all tenants should have access to secure, good quality, affordable homes. We are also pleased the government has acknowledged the unique role housing associations have in delivering these outcomes to people right across Scotland.   

“Fairness, quality and affordability are at the heart of the social housing sector, with our homes built to the highest standards, and tenants regularly engaged in important decisions.  

“This consultation provides an opportunity to inform and shape the detail behind these important principles, not least to provide a clearer definition of affordability. SFHA and our members look forward to working with Scottish Government over the coming months to do this.” 

The consultation closes on 15 April 2022.

Carry On Christmas

  • Cabinet meets to discuss Omicron crisis – but agrees to DO NOTHING until more data is available
  • Scotland will urge caution and encourage vaccination – but will NOT enforce tougher guidelines before Christmas

The UK Government met yesterday to discuss the gathering Omicron crisis – but decided to DO NOTHING following their two-hour meeting.

PM Boris Johnson said the situation will be monitored ‘hour by hour’.

91,743 Covid cases were reported across the UK yesterday – the second highest daily total on record – and this figure is expected to rise steeply over the coming days as Omicron becomes the dominant variant.

The UK public has already voted with it’s feet, with many choosing to stay away from busy venues. This has created a new crisis for the beleaguered hospitality industry …

Weekend hospitality sales plummet by 40%

New figures, from industry body UKHospitality, show December set to be a disaster for a sector which had much riding on this key period and hopes for a better 2022 already lie in tatters.

Over half (54%) of venues were down more than 40% in revenue last weekend, with one in five businesses reporting a crushing sales drop of more than 60%. On top of these bleak trading figures, 88% of operators say they feel negative about the potential of New Year’s Eve trading and four in five operators have already experienced cancellations for bookings in what was already set to be a quiet Q1 next year.

A separate survey, for the Tourism Alliance, showed that a third of pubs, bars and restaurants have no cash reserves and 10% of pubs and 14% of restaurants are therefore very likely to fail, with consequent job losses.

Without any form of Government support a further 40% are at risk of failure. Accommodation businesses are only slightly more resilient with 22% reporting no cash reserves – 47% with less than 2 months’ worth – with 26% at risk of failure in the next year without further support.

UKHospitality Chief Executive, Kate Nicholls, said: “Hospitality operators desperately want to keep their doors open and trade their way to recovery, particularly during the Christmas period, which is not only key for balance sheets but for the communities and people our businesses serve.

“However, these catastrophic figures clearly show that trading levels are now so low that without Government support many businesses will not survive into the New Year and jobs will be lost. Cancellations have annihilated cash reserves.

“The industry urgently needs grants for short-term business survival and an extension to business rates relief and the lower VAT rate to secure longer term survival and planning.

“It is also crucial that the Government lets the industry know as soon as possible if measures are to be imposed and what they might be, to allow for as much damage limitation as possible.”

Scottish Licensed Trade Association managing director Colin Wilkinson said: “Of course, we all want to do what we can to stop the spread of the virus and the licensed hospitality sector has gone to enormous effort and invested millions of pounds in mitigation measures and will continue to do so for as long as it can.

“The shutdown of the licensed hospitality industry, effectively by stealth, puts most businesses in an even worse scenario than last Christmas when there was some finance available via Government grants and the furlough scheme was in place.

 “Whilst the restrictions that we feared have not yet been imposed, there still remains a great deal of uncertainty for our industry which was beginning to recover, albeit slowly, and looking forward to reasonably good prospects during the key festive trading period.

“We have not been ordered to close our doors yet but many have no choice when so many bookings have been cancelled.

“Last week’s call from Public Health Scotland not to have festive parties – endorsed the next day by the First Minister – killed Christmas and, I fear, will kill some businesses who will not survive without financial support. Our industry desperately needs additional aid to save it – and it needs it now.

“Our industry desperately needs additional aid to save it – and needs it NOW.

“I cannot stress how serious the situation is – many of our members are in dire straits. There will be no happy Christmas for those who are worried about the future and face the prospect of making staff redundant or, worse, pulling down the shutters.

“It is not only operators who are affected by Government interventions – staff and those in the supply chain are also being dragged into the horrendous situation we are still in without any other restrictions looming on the horizon.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has already confirmed that no further restrictions will be introduced in Scotland before Christmas.

The Scottish Cabinet will meet this morning and any further changes to post-Christmas Covid restrictions will be announced to Parliament this afternoon.

Ye’ll huv hud yer Hogmanany, then?

Preventing Homelessness: Scottish Government opens consultation

Views sought on proposed legal duties for public bodies

Health and social care services, children’s services, police and other public bodies will have a legal duty to ‘ask and act’ to prevent homelessness under Scottish Government proposals.

The measures would be part of new laws aimed at preventing homelessness, based on recommendations from an expert group convened by the charity Crisis at the request of the Scottish Government. They would represent the biggest change to Scotland’s homelessness legislation in almost a decade.

Public bodies would have a legal duty to identify anyone at risk of homelessness and either take action themselves or refer on to more appropriate help.

A consultation on the plans, run jointly with COSLA, will give people with experience of homelessness, alongside those from the housing sector, public bodies and others, the chance to share their views and help shape Scotland’s approach to preventing homelessness.

Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said: “We know that the best way to end homelessness is to prevent it from happening in the first place. These new proposals build on the strong housing rights that already exist in Scotland for people who become homeless.

“Early action should be a shared public responsibility, giving people facing homelessness more choice and control over where they live.

“Homelessness is often a traumatic and unsettling experience that can have a profound impact on the lives of those involved, including children.

“By intervening at an earlier stage, and encouraging services to work together to respond to people’s needs, we can ensure fewer people and families are faced with having to re-build lives affected by homelessness.

“This will further add to our existing ambitious programme of work and investment to ensure everyone has a safe, warm place to call home.”

Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of Crisis, said: “We strongly support plans for new duties for public bodies to prevent homelessness in Scotland. 

“Scotland has made huge progress in its journey towards ending homelessness in recent years, but while the country has powerful protections in place for people experiencing homelessness, far too many people are being forced to reach crisis point before they get the help they need. 

“Everyone has a role to play in preventing homelessness, and by introducing new duties requiring public services to ask about someone’s housing situation, and offer them the help they need, we can build a truly world leading system of homelessness prevention.” 

Councillor Kelly Parry, COSLA Spokesperson for Community Wellbeing said: “People have a right to a place they can call home. Rough sleeping and sofa surfing is something we have always worked to eliminate.

“We welcome the proposal that the duty to end homelessness will be shared with other public bodies and look forward to being closely engaged in the consultation with other partners”.

Prevention of Homelessness Duties consultation – closes 31 March 2022

Hospitality prayers answered: UK Government doubles Covid support funding … maybe?

The UK Government last night doubled the amount of additional funding available for the governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to tackle Covid – but First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is querying the Treasury’s announcement. 

The Treasury says this means the Devolved Administrations can now spend an additional £860 million, increased from the initial £430 million announced earlier last week.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak confirmed the increased funding following discussions with the Devolved Administrations. This will continue to ensure the Devolved Administrations can take the Covid precautions they feel are necessary to keep people safe.

The additional amounts now being provided to each government on top of their Autumn Budget 2021 funding (my italics – Ed.) are:

  • Scottish Government – £440 million
  • Welsh Government – £270 million
  • Northern Ireland Executive – £150 million

These amounts will continue to be kept under review.

These are additional amounts on top of the combined £77.6 billion confirmed for this year at the Autumn Budget 2021. It means that the Devolved Administrations have the certainty they requested to spend additional funding now rather than waiting for Supplementary Estimates in the new year.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “Following discussions with the Devolved Administrations, we are now doubling the additional funding available.

“We will continue to listen to and work with the Devolved Administrations in the face of this serious health crisis to ensure we’re getting the booster to people all over the UK and that people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are supported.”

However First Minister Nicola Sturgeon continued to query the additional funding in a series of tweets last night.

The First Minister tweeted: “: “Before we get spin on ‘doubling’, the £220m announced last week was NOT new or additional (it was actually £48m less than we had been expecting). Seeking confirmation if this new £220m is additional (tho if so £48m will just make up last w/k loss) & if it has to be repaid to the extent it is new/additional, @scotgov will make sure it goes in full to helping business and the overall Covid effort.”

She added in another tweet: “As infections soar and businesses suffer, we still need much more urgency in action/support from UK Gov – so that devolved gov hands not tied. To that end, it was disappointing and frustrating that neither the PM nor the Chancellor attended this evening’s COBRA.“

Citizens steer net zero journey

Scottish Government response to Climate Assembly recommendations published

The Scottish Government has set out how it is embracing the findings of Scotland’s Climate Assembly to help shape the country’s approach to net zero.

The comprehensive response welcomes all of the Assembly’s 81 recommendations – and those made by the Children’s Parliament.

It sets out how the Scottish Government will deliver the Assembly’s bold and wide-ranging proposals across a number of key themes including transport, waste and home energy. It also commits to using the Assembly’s report to support future decision making.

A number of other tangible actions being taken forward as a direct result of the Assembly’s recommendations include:

  • the roll-out of a new network of resource sharing libraries across Scotland
  • working with landowners to increase woodland creation and peatland restoration
  • integrating emission reduction topics into education programmes
  • considering the Assembly recommendations for inclusion in the forthcoming Circular Economy Bill

Net Zero Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Scotland’s Climate Assembly has been a truly historic process and involved a ground-breaking collaboration that engaged people from across the country.

“To ensure our approach to becoming a net zero nation is fair and just for everyone, we all need to work together. Scotland’s Climate Assembly, as representatives of our nation, told us what they want to see, and I am delighted to support their package of recommendations.

“The Scottish Government’s response to the Assembly’s report has been a truly cross-Government effort – and rightly so, given that the transformation that needs to take place will touch every corner of our society.

“We have been clear where the Assembly’s recommendations have already resulted in action and where we need to explore or consult further. As we work towards net zero, we will ensure the Assembly’s recommendations continue to guide decision-making.  It is particularly fitting, to be publishing the government’s response now, as we seek to ensure a lasting legacy from COP26.

“The Climate Assembly has worked closely with the Children’s Parliament, to ensure that, for the first time, children have directly been involved and we will ensure young people continue to be part of the decisions around our net zero future. It is another example of the unique approach we are taking to tackle climate change in Scotland, ensuring a greener, fairer future for everyone.”

Scotland’s Climate Assembly’s full report can be viewed on its website.

First Minister’s Christmas card

The card features iconic landmarks of Scotland

A design featuring landmarks and national symbols of Scotland has been unveiled as the First Minister’s 2021 Christmas Card.

It has been created by artist Emily Hogarth, who has previously worked on illustrations to mark St Andrew’s Day and a welcoming new space for children at The Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh.

The card features some of Scotland’s best-known landmarks and iconic buildings, with familiar images such as the Scottish Parliament building and the Finnieston Crane. It also has personal links to the First Minister, with her official residence Bute House included in the design.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I am thrilled to have such a striking design for my Christmas card this year.

“Emily Hogarth’s artwork celebrates just a few of the things that make Scotland special, and there’s no better time of year to stop and reflect on the things that make our lives a little brighter.

“After another particularly difficult year living through the COVID-19 pandemic I hope that this card will help to lift people’s spirits, spread some festive cheer and most importantly remind us all that better days are ahead.”

Emily Hogarth said: “I felt very honoured to be selected. It’s been lovely to work with the Scottish Government in the past, but to be chosen by the First Minister to do the Christmas card felt very special.

“It’s more important than ever that we focus on the little things that make life better, whether that’s receiving a nice card or having chats with your friends. We need to remember that we’re all in this together and that good times will come again.”

Care home and hospital visiting

Visits to people in hospital and care homes to continue with additional protection measures

Visitors to hospitals and adult care homes are being asked to take an LFD test before every visit under new guidelines.

Adult care homes and hospitals should continue to support visits for residents and patients, however new recommendations set out that visits should be in line with the rules for the general public brought in to control the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

The guidance stresses that residents in adult care homes should continue to have opportunities to connect safely with their loved ones, if the protective measures to support safe visiting are maintained.

Under new guidelines no more than two households should meet with a resident at any one time inside the care home and residents are asked to avoid larger gatherings when visiting friends and family outwith the care home.

Staff testing has increased to daily and all visitors should test before every visit. As before named visitors can still be supported  to visit residents in care homes with a controlled COVID-19 outbreak if the local Health Protection Team has agreed this can happen. Essential visits in circumstances such as distress or end of life should be compassionately and generously supported at all times.

Hospital visiting must continue to be prioritised, with appropriate precautions and protections. These include asking all visitors to use an LFD test ahead of visiting, and for no more than two people to visit a patient at any one time, on wards where there is no current active outbreak. Where an active outbreak is being managed, hospitals should allow essential visits only.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We are clear hospital visiting must continue, with appropriate precautions and protections in place. We are also mindful of the imminent Christmas period and what this means for patients, staff, visitors and communities.

“Our expectation is that every patient in hospital in Scotland over the Christmas and New Year holiday period should be able to benefit from the support of at least one visitor and, wherever it is safely possible, two.

“These additional measures, in recognition of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, are on top of existing infection prevention and control measures. As has always been the case, we expect protections such as hand hygiene, face coverings and distancing to continue to be maintained.

“The additional protective measures for adult care homes aim to balance the current Covid-19 risk and the need to keep people safe in line with clinical advice provided about the risks of Omicron variant of COVID-19 at this time. 

“Anyone who visits a hospital or care home should undertake an LFD test before every visit in order to keep patients and residents safe. However the additional measures in care homes and hospitals are based on the principle that, using all the protective measures, people living in care homes or being treated in hospitals should continue be supported to see and spend time with those important to them.

“It is vital that everyone works together to enable people to see each other in the lead up to and over the Christmas period so that everyone can spend time with one another safely and with confidence.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank all health and social care staff who have worked tirelessly to enable people, whether patients or care home residents, to stay connected with their loved ones. Their contribution has been immense.”

Scottish Government commits £100 million to support businesses

Pressure on UK Government to deliver more financial support as Omicron cases surge

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced the breakdown of a lifeline £100 million financial package to support businesses experiencing cancellations due to the rapid spread of the new Omicron variant.

The £100 million support package is broken down into:

  • £66 million for eligible hospitality businesses
  • £20 million for the culture sector
  • £8 million for food and drink supply chain businesses including wholesalers
  • £3 million for the wedding sector
  • £3 million for the worst affected businesses in the tourism sector, including international inbound tour operators

Final details of the funding available and how to apply is being determined in discussion with business organisations and will be published next week.

Eligible hospitality businesses will be contacted directly by their local authorities and will not need to apply for support.

Food and Drink wholesalers can apply for funding through a re-run of the Scottish Wholesale Food and Drink Resilience Fund in January 2022.

Guidance has also been published to enable businesses to take reasonable measures to limit the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The steps we are asking people to take are already having a severe economic impact, particularly for sectors like hospitality and culture, which have been badly affected by previous waves of Covid and were hoping for a better Christmas period this year. This is why we have found £100 million to help businesses in those sectors.

“The support we’re providing is significant – but we know it won’t fully compensate for the impact of Omicron. Business now needs the type and scale of financial support that was available earlier in the pandemic and that can only come from the UK Government – which has borrowing powers that the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments do not.

“The best way to support business sustainably, is to get the virus back under control. Please get your boosters and stay at home as much as possible just now.”

Downing Street confirmed that The First Minister spoke with Prime Minister Boris Johnson later in the afternoon.

In a statement, the PM’s office said:

‘The Prime Minister has spoken to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon this afternoon to discuss the ongoing response to the Omicron variant.

The Prime Minister and the First Minister agreed on the importance of close collaboration for the benefit of citizens across the UK.

They discussed the shared challenges including the economic disruption caused by Covid and will continue to work together.

The Prime Minister confirmed UK Government will be convening a COBR meeting over the weekend with counterparts from the devolved administrations to continue discussions.

£2 million for Macmillan Hub

Grants to revitalise Scotland’s neighbourhoods

Regeneration projects in some of Scotland’s more disadvantaged and rural communities will share more than £25 million of funding.

One of these is the Macmillan Hub in Muirhouse, which has been allocated £2 million, while nearby West Shore Studios on Granton Waterfront receives £1.73 million.

The Regeneration Capital Grant Fund will support 22 locally developed place-based projects that tackle inequalities and promote sustainable and inclusive economic recovery from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Whilst helping revitalise town centres and neighbourhoods, these projects aim to support up to 3,000 jobs, training and volunteering opportunities and reduce local carbon emissions.

Projects to benefit from a share of this fund include:

  • initiatives that transform historic buildings into new shared business spaces, including work to turn a disused historic building in Renfrewshire into the country’s first theatre designed for young people
  • a new £4 million technology hub in Shawfield, Glasgow, that will provide low carbon space for engineering development, medical, and digital research industries
  • a new £2.3 million Skills and Innovation Centre in Kelloholm, Dumfries and Galloway, that will create community project space and offices for third sector and small businesses
  • funding of £2 million to unlock investment worth £14.6 million to create a new hub in Muirhouse that will provide a nursery, library, workshops for new businesses, an expanded cafe plus six affordable homes and a revamped community arts centre
  • a new £750,000 centre in South Uist to promote Gaelic language, culture, music and dance

Welcoming the funding, city council leader Adam McVey said: “This funding comes as a fantastic endorsement for the work we’re doing to create equal and sustainable communities in North Edinburgh. Coming just before Christmas at a very difficult time for communities still struggling to cope with the effects of the pandemic it is very welcome news indeed.

“It will help enormously with our multi-use hub adding to our major success story in regenerating North Edinburgh. It’s so exciting to see this joint project with North Edinburgh Arts getting this recognition and endorsement.  As well as a cultural hub, the funding will help provide an accessible library and quality early years care at the heart of the community.”

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “In recent years our North Edinburgh regeneration project has brought massive positive change and a more equal and sustainable future for the communities living in the Pennywell and Muirhouse areas. It’s great to see further investment completing our regeneration at MacMillan Square.

“The pandemic is very much still with us and I’m so pleased communities in North Edinburgh have some inspiration and great news for the New Year. This further investment for our creative and community hub at Granton Waterfront enhances our £1.3bn wider Granton Waterfront project and follows on from our work with communities building new homes and facilities nearby.

“I’m pleased to see the new hub being delivered for us by Edinburgh Palette in Granton Waterfront is receiving the recognition it deserves.

Lesley Hinds, Chair of North Edinburgh Arts, said: “North Edinburgh Arts (NEA) is a multi-award winning project with strong community support and we are thrilled to be awarded funding from the Scottish Government.

“This funding means NEA can move forward with the MacMillan Hub project, in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council, to provide much needed space and services for the local area. NEA recently finalised a Community Asset Transfer which brings the NEA building, land and garden into community ownership and allows for the expansion of our work, essential now more than ever, as we recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We now look forward to securing the additional resources needed to build on this important award. I want to give my thanks to the NEA Board, staff, officers at the City of Edinburgh Council, Richard Murphy Architects and, most importantly, the community of North Edinburgh for their continued support.”

Community Wealth Minister Tom Arthur said: “The last few years have been tough for us all but many of Scotland’s communities have been more impacted than others. The latest projects to benefit from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund are working to tackle inequalities and create vibrant town centres and neighbourhoods. 

“By securing investment from this £25 million fund, these innovative projects demonstrate the powerful role those in our communities can have in helping to transform their town centres and neighbourhoods by investing in their future. The Scottish Government will do all it can to support projects that help create the fairer, greener and more prosperous Scotland we all want to see.”  

COSLA’s Environment and Economy spokesperson Councillor Steven Heddle said: “Once again, the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund has created the opportunity to deliver jobs, tackle inequalities and create better places across Scotland.

“The exciting projects announced today showcase the best of partnership between local authorities and our communities, delivering economic and social renewal as we rebuild from the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The diversity of projects supported is testament to the success of identifying local solutions to enable people to live well locally.

“In the face of the climate emergency, it is essential that the most vulnerable in society are not further disadvantage by climate change and I am especially pleased to see the additional focus on achieving a just transition to a net zero society.”

Matt Lammie, Chair of Kirkconnel & Kelloholm Development Trust, said: “This grant support for the new Kelloholm Skills and Innovation Centre is fantastic news and a great boost to the community of Kirkconnel and Kelloholm, in what has been a difficult year.

“Our whole community has worked hard to bring the Skills & Innovation Centre project forward and it will make a real difference to regenerating our area, connecting us to the wider world, and most important of all it will help our young people to get the skills that the need so that they can live, work and prosper here where they were brought up rather than having to move away.”

Ditching Disposables: Pilot will see Scottish businesses break up with single-use items for good

  • Research from the Marine Conservation Society found an average of 262 plastic and polystyrene pieces for every 100m of Portobello beach 
  • St Andrew’s Takeaway is currently using an estimated 10,800 disposable food containers a month. Over a year, this would have the same carbon cost as a return flight from Edinburgh to New York
  • If five percent of their customers switched to reusable food containers, it would save 100kg of carbon dioxide equivalent a year 

Zero Waste Scotland has launched the first wave of its Ditching Disposables pilot, which will help a number of Scottish businesses to reduce and eliminate their reliance on single-use items. 

The drive coincides with the recent announcement from the Scottish Government that they will ban a wide range of single-use plastics items from June 2022.

The new regulations include restrictions on plastic cutlery, drink stirrers, and food containers made from expanded polystyrene – items predominately found in cafes and hospitality businesses.  

The legislation covers these plastic items made from both fossil-based and plant-based plastics regardless of whether they are recyclable, biodegradable or compostable. It also covers plastic items which contain recycled content. 

In line with recommendations of the Expert Panel on Environmental Charges and Other Measures, the Ditching Disposables project will support organisations across Scotland to trial and implement sustainable alternatives to problematic single-use items. A common mistake, which businesses must avoid where possible, is to replace one disposable option with another one made from a different material. 

This is why Zero Waste Scotland is embarking on a collaborative campaign to guide businesses on alternative and environmentally friendly solutions, such as swapping single-use plastic stirrers with reusable metal spoons rather than wooden ones, which also end up in the bin after one use. 

The Ditching Disposables pilot is also a pivotal step towards the creation of a first-of-its-kind roadmap – a guide that will equip businesses across the world with the necessary tools and knowledge, using data collated from successful interventions found through the initiative.  

Iain Gulland, Chief Executive at Zero Waste Scotland, said: “We’ve all seen those pictures and videos of horrendous litter pollution strewn across land and sea. Waste, predominately made up of single-use items, is persistently causing harm to the environment in Scotland as well as the rest of the world. 

“Right now, we live in a throwaway society, and we urgently need to move away from disposables completely. Our Ditching Disposables pilot is a huge step towards this goal. 

“We’re working directly with business owners and their customers, at the ground level, to give them the right tools to find alternatives to disposables. We’re confident this pilot will help them to feel like they’re doing their vital part in reducing the amount of waste we produce. 

“At COP26, Scotland proved it’s a world-leader when it comes to sustainability, and this pioneering project will further cement this status and form part of its legacy.” 

Welcoming the pilot project, Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: “There is no longer any doubt that plastic waste is having a hugely damaging impact on our oceans, environment and climate. 

“The Scottish Government supports a move away from the old-fashioned and environmentally destructive consumption model of take, make and consume. 

“Lessons from this trial will be crucial in our efforts to reduce our reliance on single-use plastic and in our journey towards a circular economy that promotes re-use, repair and recycling.” 

Take-out fish and chips for a stroll in the beach often come in wax-coated paper boxes, which have a carbon impact and cannot be easily recycled.

However, many food outlets use them. St Andrew’s Takeaway is currently trialling innovative alternatives but, in the meantime, uses an estimated 10,800 disposable food containers a month.

Over a year, this would have the same carbon cost as a return flight from Edinburgh to New York. If five percent of their customers switched to reusable food containers, it would save 100kg of carbon dioxide equivalent a year. 

Businesses in Portobello and Joppa already signed up to take part in the Ditching Disposables pilot include Malvarosa, Go Go Beets, Oscar’s Gelato, The Boathouse, St Andrews Restaurant & Takeaway and ShrimpWreck.

They’ll trial a series of initiatives including a deposit scheme for reusable containers, a charge for single-use items and edible spoons for ice cream.  

Alvaro Bernabeu, Owner of Malvarosa restaurant, said:  “I don’t see sustainability as a trend but the way forward. As a small business, we’re doing what we can and want to play a part in changing attitudes.

“The recent ban on problematic single-use items by the Scottish Government is a very welcome step, but there isn’t enough guidance available to businesses on what is the most environmentally friendly alternative. I see this pilot as a really worthwhile exercise and I’m sure it’ll be very welcome by my customers.” 

The Ditching Disposables initiative will be supported by a regionalised social media campaign, featuring striking imagery of plastic waste on Portobello Beach, and using the hashtag #DitchingDisposables. 

The campaign originally made headlines when announced in early 2020 with support from the Scottish Government – being hailed as an important step towards banishing polluting single-use items for good. However, it had to be paused due to businesses closing in line with lockdown restrictions. 

Catherine Gemmell, Scotland Conservation Officer for the Marine Conservation Society, said: “The Ditching Disposables campaign is a fantastic opportunity to give Scotland a glimpse into what having a circular economy would look like and the massive benefits across society it would bring.

“By moving to reuse, repair and refill our volunteers would start to see less plastic on our beaches which would save wildlife, keep Scotland stunning and reduce our carbon footprint.”