From January, almost every organisation in the country will have to recycle its plastic, metal, glass, paper and card. Food businesses that produce more than 50kg of food waste per week will also be required to separate it for collection.

This will make life easier for facilities managers, sustainability officers and ‘green champions’, according to Jamie Pitcairn, a director at consultancy firm Ricardo-AEA and chair or the CIWM business waste and resources strategy group.

“Five years ago waste policies [involving separation of waste for recycling] were a nice to have, but from January 1 they will be mandatory,” he told edie.

“The regulations will certainly be a shot in the arm for those who look after their internal staff engagement campaigns. They will provide businesses with something to use in their sustainability communications [to staff].”

Pitcairn said that management buy-in on recycling isn’t always easy, but the Waste (Scotland) Regulations will give “credibility to the aims of green champions” across the country.

Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) director, Iain Gulland, said many businesses are already working to become ready for introduction of the regulations.

“The regulations are designed to enable organisations 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,” he explained.

Earlier this week, ZWS launched a national communications campaign to highlight the changes taking place and where businesses can access more information.

Scotland’s businesses produce an estimated 6.5 million tonnes of waste every year.

edie staff

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