Get Ready For New Waste Regulations From 1 January 2014

1st March 2013

Zero Waste Scotland, the programme supporting Scotland’s move towards a zero waste society, announced this week the launch of brand new online support designed to help all public sector organisations with their efforts to reduce waste.

New Waste (Scotland) Regulations are coming into force on 1 January 2014, marking a major change in the way Scotland manages its waste. From this date, all organisations and businesses will be legally required to separate key recyclable materials - including paper and card, plastic, metals and glass - for collection for recycling.

Zero Waste Scotland has created a set of informative, user-friendly, digital support resources, designed to make the transition to the new regulations as smooth as possible. The first two to be launched are:

Online Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) which aim to address all of the most common queries from businesses and organisations on what actions they need to take to be prepared for the new Waste (Scotland) Regulations

A postcode finder which enables users to search for reputable and cost effective waste and resource management services, making it easier to identify the best suppliers in their local area

With an ambitious target set by the Scottish Government of 70% recycling and just 5% of waste sent to landfill by 2025, Zero Waste Scotland is working with businesses, public sector organisations and waste and resource management companies across the country to prepare them for the implementation of the ground-breaking regulations.

A food business which produces over 50kg of food waste per week must present it for separate collection from 1 January 2014. The requirement to present food waste for separate collection will extend to all food businesses which produce over 5kg of food waste per week with effect from 1 January 2016. Businesses in rural areas are exempt from these food waste requirements of the Regulations. The new postcode search tool can be used to determine whether a business is defined as being in a rural area in the context of these regulations.

Iain Gulland, director of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “With the countdown to regulations now underway, it’s important that Scottish public sector organisations and businesses work towards compliance. The regulations are designed to enable public sector organisations and businesses to further reduce waste, enable the recycling of quality materials, and be more resource efficient – all offering the potential for cost savings and wider economic opportunities. Zero Waste Scotland will be building on this newly launched online support over the coming months to help support all those organisations and businesses who would find this useful.”

Visit www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/regulations