Welcome for Scottish Conservative proposals on waste and recycling

Environmental campaigners have welcome new proposals from the Tories unveiled today (13/11/18) that would support the creation of a Scottish plastic recycling plant and make our cities greener.

Friends of the Earth Scotland Director Dr Richard Dixon commented,

“We welcome the Scottish Tories proposal for a plastic recycling plant in Scotland. It could work in tandem with the forthcoming Deposit Return Scheme and inject fresh impetus into Scotland’s drive towards a circular economy. Having dedicated recycling facilities in Scotland will cut down on emissions and costs of transporting materials as well as providing jobs and clear signal of intent on reducing waste.

“As the public pressure mounts to reduce the amount of plastic we use, Grangemouth will start to see a drop in the demand for plastic and the industrial area there starts to look like the obvious place to house a plastics recycling plant in the future.

“Scotland must also tackle plastic pollution at source by preventing its creation by getting to grips with industrial plastic pollution from manufacturing sites. The Scottish Government should also continue actions that help to cut down on our use of unnecessary single-use plastic items such as straws, cotton buds and coffee cups.

“By extending the responsibility of producers, companies are forced to take responsibility for the goods they make – including how they are treated at the end of their useful life. This will mean manufacturers create products that are longer lasting, reusable or recyclable.

“We also welcome the Tories plans to boost the number of allotments and create school farms, helping people grow their own food, spend time in the outdoors and reducing food waste.”
ENDS