A new investment fund has been launched by the Scottish Government for the development of plastics sorting and reprocessing facilities in Scotland.
The £2.5 million fund offers direct financial support to organisations that sort and reprocess a variety of plastics from LDPE film, rigid plastics, uPVC window and door frames and plastics from waste electrical equipment. It is administered by Zero Waste Scotland and Scottish Enterprise.
Scotland generated 500,000 tonnes of waste plastic last year and only around one-fifth of this was recycled, and most was sent to facilities in England or overseas.
Scottish Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said: “With 280 million bottles collected for recycling a year, Scotland is already making progress in realising the value of waste plastic.
“Zero Waste Scotland’s research highlights how there is potential for businesses to recycle more and different varieties of plastic. The loan fund has been set up to support businesses to take these types of ventures forward. It is part of our drive to maximise the economic and employment benefits of recycling resources again and again, establishing a more circular economy in Scotland.
“With the price and demand for raw materials increasing globally we need to develop ways to keep high-quality materials in Scotland and reduce our dependence on raw materials from overseas. Supporting improvements to the quality and quantity of recycling options will provide the stimulus for business investment and in turn create new employment opportunities.”
