Council’s Climate Change Chair opens recycling dialogue with major supermarkets

In the run up to National Recycling Week (2nd – 6th June 2008) - coordinated by Waste Aware Scotland - major supermarket retailers in the Highlands are being invited to discuss what policies or practices they have in place for recycling.

In his capacity as Chair of The Highland Council’s Climate Change Working Group, Councillor Drew Hendry has written to the main supermarkets welcoming them to engage in dialogue specifically in relation to recycling facilities at their stores, and whether they are working with suppliers regarding essential packaging and reducing  excess packaging.

In his letter Councillor Hendry highlighted that the efficient management of waste is a complex and expensive infrastructure issue particularly given Highland Council’s geography, and one the Council is constantly looking at with their partners in the public and private sector to identify opportunities to improve on common practices. 

He said: “Litter is a significant problem throughout the Highlands as it is in many other areas in Scotland. In addition to associated costs for the Council, litter also has implications for business, tourism and human and animal health.
 
“The Highland Council aims to demonstrate leadership and ambition in relation to climate change reflecting its role as a manager of its own estate; an employer; a service provider; a community leader and a signatory to the Scottish Climate Change Declaration.

“This has been evidenced most recently in the Council’s approval of an additional £1.662m to be spent on providing further recycling services across the Highlands including plastic bottle collections at all main recycling centres and expanding its kerbside recycling service to rural households as part of its commitment to increase recycling to 40% by 2010.”

Councillor Hendry welcomed any opportunity to open dialogue and increase the amount of co-ordinated working between The Highland Council and local businesses.