The first ever area waste plan in Scotland quite clearly says no to mass burn incineration in the Forth Valley and yes to recycling and composting waste.

However, there is a clear underlying message within the plan that sets local people a challenge. Household waste is their responsibility. The more they re-use, recycle and compost greater amounts of their own household rubbish the less likely there will be a need for an advanced thermal treatment plant in the Forth Valley. Obviously, the plan is a working document and as new technologies are developed they will be given due consideration.

Launched today (Monday 23 July 2001) by the Forth Valley Area Waste Group, the Waste Plan is the result of 18 months of work shared between Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), the Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling Councils, plus Scottish Enterprise Forth Valley, East of Scotland Water and the Scottish Waste Awareness Group (SWAG).

Developed to implement the National Waste Strategy Scotland at a local level, the Forth Valley Area Waste Plan sets out the vision for rubbish in the area for the next 20 years, as well as a series of actions to 2006. It proposes two new challenging targets for the area:

• 25 per cent recycling and composting of household waste by 2006
  
• 30 per cent of recycling and composting of household waste by 2010
  

Dave Gorman, SEPA Waste Strategy Co ordinator for the Forth Valley, said: “This is a public consultation document and we want and need local people to respond. Excellent partnership working and the information gathered from local groups and individuals in response to previous consultations have enabled us to make decisions on the best option for household rubbish.

“Our recommendation is recycling and composting for the Forth Valley area - this offers the best combination of cost, employment generation, environmental impact and public acceptability. In addition, we want to give much more emphasis to changing attitudes and promoting the message - avoid and reduce waste.”

Fiona Lee, Water Quality and Environment Officer for East of Scotland Water, said: "East of Scotland Water (ESW) is fully supportive of the Forth Valley Waste Area Plan. ESW aims to contribute to the sustainable development of the Forth Valley area by improving its waste management so that any environmental impacts are reduced, resource efficiency is improved and the economic opportunities arising from waste are maximised. The Waste Area Group has worked hard to offer the local community the most flexible and sustainable route for wastes produced in the area and ESW is pleased to have been involved with developing the plan from the beginning."

Graeme Cunningham, Waste Strategy Co-ordinator for Falkirk Council said: “The Forth Valley Area Waste Plan will bring about a huge change in the way we collect and deal with rubbish. Public support is going to be vital to meeting our recycling targets and I would urge people to get involved in recycling and bring about the major change needed to meet the challenge of the Plan.

“We want and need local people and local businesses to be involved in reducing waste. Raising awareness with more recycling, more composting and less waste to landfill is the future for Falkirk. Following public consultation on the plan, Falkirk Council will decide exactly what changes will have to be made to waste collection and disposal services to meet tough recycling targets.”

Dr Nicki Souter, Campaign Manager, Scottish Waste Awareness Group (SWAG), said: “SWAG fully support and look forward to working with the Forth Valley group to develop and deliver public awareness campaigns to both change attitudes and actively encourage public involvement in reducing waste.”

Councillor Willie Alexander, Convener of the Enterprise and Environment Committee at Clackmannanshire Council said: "We hope that the Area Waste Plan will be the basis of a sea change in Forth Valley - away from a throwaway culture towards a sustainable future where waste is kept to a minimum and seen as a resource to be exploited."

Copies of the draft Forth Valley Area Waste Plan, together with a summary guide, can be downloaded from the SEPA website; www.sepa.org.uk or from Dave Gorman on 01786 457700.

ENDS


NOTES TO EDITORS

• Dave Gorman, SEPA Area Waste Strategy Co-ordinator for Forth Valley, is available for interview. Please contact Louise Fyfe, SEPA Regional Public Relations Officer, on 0131 273 7274 or the out of hours public relations pager on 07644 071918.
  

• SEPA has a duty under the Environment Act 1995 to produce a national waste strategy for Scotland that will be developed through the implementation of 11 Area Waste Plans for the whole of Scotland. These aim to show how waste will be dealt with for the next 20 years and will ensure that Scotland meets the requirements of a variety of EU directives. The plans aim to reduce the volume and hazard of waste, increase recycling and re-use, and reduce the dependence on landfill. This should reduce environmental impacts whilst creating new jobs, better use of resources and a cleaner local environment.
  

• The Forth Valley group have rejected mass burn incineration technologies in favour of a commitment to explore advanced thermal treatment plants (a form of energy from waste plant). These technologies, such as gasification or pyrolysis, offer the prospect of far lower emissions of polluting chemicals such as dioxins, as well as more efficient recovery of the energy contained in the wastes.
  
  
• In Scotland we are heavily reliant on the landfilling (tipping into holes) of waste. Household recycling levels were 5 per cent in 2000, putting us at the bottom of the European league of recycling.
  

• The Forth Valley Waste Strategy Area Group is a partnership between SEPA, Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling Councils, Scottish Enterprise Forth Valley, East of Scotland Water and SWAG.
  
  
• For information on East of Scotland Water contact PR Officer Connie Bell on 0131 445 6728.
  
  
• For information on Falkirk Council contact David Grindlay on 01324 506070.
  
  
• For information on SWAG contact Dr Nicki Souter on 01786 471333.
  
  
• For information on Clackmannanshire Council contact Julie Paterson on 01259 452058.
  
  
• For information on Stirling Council contact Fiona Fulton on 01786 443361
  .
  
• For information on Scottish Enterprise Forth Valley contact Helen Lewis on 01786 451919.