3.8 Education and Awareness Raising

The National Waste Strategy: Scotland makes it clear that there needs to be a fundamental shift in the attitudes and behaviour of all waste producers in Scotland.

The Scottish Waste Awareness Group (SWAG) will plan and deliver public awareness campaigns on domestic waste management throughout Scotland. Each campaign will focus on a specific waste management issue (e.g. kerbside campaign, recycling point campaign, etc.) and will be run concurrently with the implementation of the Waste Strategy area plans within selected areas. Each campaign will comprise of three basic stages:

(i) Before survey - to assess attitudes and behaviour towards the identified waste prevention issue prior to the intervention strategy.

(ii) Campaign - intensive localised intervention strategy run initially for a 6-month period working in partnership with the WSAG co-ordinator, the local authority, the local community and voluntary groups, retailers’, private waste industry, etc.

(iii) After Survey - to assess attitudes and behaviour towards the identified waste prevention issue after the intervention strategy, and to appraise the effectiveness of the different campaigning methods employed.

This format will allow SWAG to monitor progress towards more sustainable public waste management behaviour, and to develop models of good practice and Best Value for changing public attitudes to reduction, reuse and recycling. A rolling programme of Waste Aware Campaigns in conjunction with AWP time-scales will be implemented across Scotland.

SWAG have already carried out over 70 door-to-door interview surveys throughout the Western Isles to establish a baseline against which progress can be monitored as new BPEO infrastructure is developed. The WSAG will continue to work jointly with SWAG to develop campaigns targeting specific infrastructure developments.

The Isles are required to move from a position of virtually no recycling at present, to almost universal adoption of household segregated kerbside collections, and high participation in recycling bring schemes. In such a remote and dispersed area this shift will require an intensive promotional effort and effective provision of ongoing advice and support to householders throughout the area.

Local campaigns will provide stakeholders with an understanding of the problem, suggest optimal solutions and provide a means for taking action. One of the key components will be to match the campaigns with ‘real’ infrastructure – encouragement to make changes that can be supported and enhanced. Concurrently public perception values and needs will be considered. This ensures stakeholder participation and involvement, and guides stakeholders towards making their own decisions within their local area. All of which is geared to producing greater participation within local schemes.

It is essential that there is continuity of approach and terminology in the delivery mechanism to change public attitudes towards domestic waste throughout Scotland. The development of the ‘Waste Aware Scotland’ campaigning programme provides a framework to allow an integrated partnership approach, providing a national campaigning identity that is deliverable at the local level.

Action 17
In partnership with SWAG, develop a detailed education and awareness campaign to accompany the introduction of new collection systems and waste management infrastructure.

It is also critical, as a first step towards creating the necessary awareness for high levels of householder, community and business participation, that efforts are made to promote the objectives and detail of the AWP itself. Again, due to the dispersed and remote nature of the islands, a highly proactive approach will be necessary in this respect.

Action 18
Promote and raise awareness of the Western Isles AWP throughout all sectors of the community.