People living in the Glasgow and Clyde Valley area now have the opportunity to join in the debate on how the waste they produce is managed and how that waste is allowed to impact on the environment they live in. The Glasgow and Clyde Valley Waste Strategy Area Group have published their Waste Issues consultation paper, designed to stimulate debate on the five potential options identified by the Group, for the future of waste management in the area. The group is made up of representatives of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), the eight Local Authorities, Local Enterprise Companies, the Voluntary Sector and the Waste Management Industry.

The Issues Paper does not provide definitive solutions for dealing with the areas waste problems/issues, however it does outline those options which have been identified as possible and practical for the Glasgow and Clyde Valley area.

Nichol Slaven, SEPA Waste Strategy Area Co-ordinator points out the problems facing the area.

“Each household in the area currently produces over one tonne of waste each year. Over 96% of this is disposed of to holes in the ground (known as landfill sites) with only approximately 3% of it being recycled. We must improve on these figures and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. Waste which has been landfilled has the potential to cause pollution to land, air and water and can lead to lasting environmental damage. This Issues consultation paper suggests alternatives to the current reliance on landfill disposal including waste minimisation, recycling, reuse, composting, and Energy from Waste.

“Everybody living or working in the area has an interest in the way waste is produced, treated, recycled and disposed of, and should take this opportunity to have their say on the options proposed in the Issues paper. My advice to the people of Glasgow and Clyde Valley is that we have no option but change, so make sure you have your say.”

Copies of the Issues Paper are available from the SEPA Web Site www.sepa.org.uk or Morag Devlin on Tel - 0141 945 6350.

ENDS

Notes

• 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.
  

• 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.
  

PR Team - Press Contacts
Corporate Office, Stirling (national issues):	Stewart Prodger, direct line 01786 457724
Aberdeen (northern Scotland issues):	Stewart Argo, tel 01224 248338
East Kilbride (south west Scotland issues):	Joanna Gardiner, direct line 01355 574226
Edinburgh (south east Scotland issues):	Louise Fyfe, direct line 0131 273 7274