Zero Waste Scotland will deliver a £4m programme in 2011/12 to support separate collection and processing of food waste.
The funding will support local authorities, working in partnership with Scottish Futures Trust, and resource management businesses with projects that will enable more homes and businesses to access separate food waste collections.
The programme will help deliver the aims of the Scottish Government’s Zero Waste Plan. Scottish households currently produce over half a million tonnes of food and drinks waste each year, and food makes up around a third of average household residual waste. In addition, the hospitality and catering industry in Scotland sent an estimated 68,000 tonnes of food waste to landfill in 2009.
The Food Waste Programme will support the following projects:
Development of options appraisal for local authorities to implement food waste collections and treatment.
Development of full business case where procurement of treatment facilities is identified as a priority.
Funding support of Local Authority treatment infrastructure.
Funding support for separate food waste collection.
Funding for mixed food & garden waste collections where the case for separate collection is not technically, environmentally or economically practical.
De-minimus funding to private sector for start up costs for commercial food waste service.
De-minimus funding to private sector for additional infrastructure at existing treatment facilities.
