This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Funding for farm plastics recycling
03/03/2003
A grant of £150,000 has been awareded to a pilot scheme for recycling farm plastics.
Environment and Rural Development Minister Ross Finnie gave details of funding for the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RSABI) which has been operating an existing scheme.
It arranges bags for plastics to be delivered to farmers, collected when full, and sent for recycling into items such as garden furniture at a plant in Dumfries.
Funding has now been granted to keep the scheme in operation until the end of March 2004, which will allow a full evaluation of its effectiveness and success.
Mr Finnie said:
"The Scottish Executive is committed to improving quality of life, and delivering environmental justice. We are keen to see innovative projects being developed which will help improve Scotland's record on recycling.
"The agricultural industry has often been overlooked as a source of waste, though the volumes involved are significant. This is a project which demonstrates a positive attitude to dealing with waste plastics in a farmer-friendly, inexpensive way.
"It is no surprise that the agricultural sector has come up with this solution itself, and I congratulate RSABI and the farmers taking part.
"The lessons we can learn from this project can be put to wide use in dealing with waste. That is why I am keen to ensure an extended trial of these methods, and that they should be properly evaluated, as part of our drive to find solutions that are good for the environment and good for farm businesses."
Under the RSABI scheme two operators, one each in the north and south of Scotland, receives instructions from a co-ordinator on the basis of requests from farmers, through local volunteer organisers. Farmers receive bags which they fill with black polythene silage film, and which are then collected and baled by the operators. The bales are delivered to British Polythene Industries' plant in Dumfries.
At Dumfries the plastic is washed, shredded and heat-treated. The material is used for "Plaswood" products, such as garden furniture.
So far the scheme has dealt with some 800 tonnes of plastics. In the next phase until end March 2004, which is being supported by the Scottish Executive, an estimated further 800 tonnes should be recycled. This is about 5% of the arisings of this form of waste in Scotland.
Until 1997 farm plastics had been recycled with the proceeds of a fund created from a levy paid by home plastics suppliers on a voluntary basis. This scheme collapsed when two importers refused to pay the levy and thus undercut the home suppliers.
The RSABI scheme arose to fill, at least partially, this gap. The cost to farmers is £15 per bag. A bag holds, on average, 250kg of plastics.
An element of the Executive's funding will be spent on a professional analysis of the scheme and on measures to improve working methods.
The RSABI is a charity dedicated to the relief of stress, hardship and suffering in the rural community.