MORE than a dozen organisations across Scotland will take part in a £1 million pilot project testing alternatives to single-use disposable items.
Zero Waste Scotland hopes the 12-month project, titled Ditching Disposables, will help to reduce waste from items like coffee cups and water bottles.
The scheme will see community hubs, cafes and restaurants trial single-use alternatives like reusable and packaging-free options, as well as deposit return schemes.
Zero Waste Scotland chief executive, Iain Gulland, said: “We know single-use items are blighting communities across Scotland and it is something we are determined to tackle. Some of these are only used for a matter of minutes yet can hang around our environment for years. We are working with communities to see what can be done to solve issues they have identified.
“Four fifths of our carbon footprint as a nation comes from the products and materials we consume. That’s a huge proportion, and single-use items are an entirely unnecessary part of that.
“Curbing our consumption habit is vital if we want to have a real impact on the climate emergency, so it’s fantastic to have so many organisations right across Scotland on board to look at what we can change to pioneer an alternative approach.”
The announcement of the scheme followed an initial closed pilot between Zero Waste Scotland and NHS Ayrshire and Arran. The trial saw reusable coffee cups and a 10p charge for disposable cups introduced in the canteen at the University Hospital Crosshouse in Kilmarnock.
The pilot, along with improvements to recycling provision and signage, resulted in the reuse rate for coffee cups increasing from 1% to nearly half of all hot drinks sales. Meanwhile, the volume of disposable cups consumed dropped by 157 each day.
Organisations from North Berwick to Thurso will participate.
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