Support and funding

Zero Waste Scotland is modelling a Circular Construction Hub that can attract external investment and demonstrate reuse of construction materials at scale.  The aim is to have an investment-ready Hub model prepared by December 2027. The initiative has huge potential to keep valuable materials in good use for longer, generating significant benefits for Scotland’s economy and environment and accelerating Scotland’s circular economy ambitions.

As part of the project, Zero Waste Scotland will be engaging key stakeholders – including local authorities.  

Zero Waste Scotland is collaborating with national and regional stakeholders across Scotland to support a place-based transition to a circular economy. Some of the opportunities to work with us, and learn more about our work so far include;

• Our Rural Reflections report
• The Circular Towns Toolkit (produced in conjunction with Scotland’s Towns Partnership)
• The Circular Economy Framework (this does need to be updated, but still provides some useful information)
• Information on the circular cities & regions initiatives that we have been involved in
• And the ‘Kick start your circular community’ resource.  

Zero Waste Scotland chairs a Local Authority Circular Economy group. This is open to officers and managers of any Scottish Local Authority, who have responsibility for some aspects of circular economy. The group does not cover waste or recycling collection, treatment, handling, infrastructure, contracts, etc. as these are all covered by the existing Waste Management Officers Network (run by CoSLA). Current participants are from a range of teams and departments including sustainability, climate change, net zero, policy, economic development, and resource management. If you’re not part of the group but would like to be, please use the contact us form and mention the Local Authority Circular Economy group.

We also are a core funder of Circular Communities Scotland (CCS) who provide support to a number of local authorities;

• Their reuse consortium offers local authorities, housing associations and other public sector organisations easy access to a range of quality assured reuse furniture and white goods from local social enterprises, removing the need to go through a tendering process.
• They are currently (as at July 2025) in the process of recruiting a Local Authority Partnership Development Officer in order to deliver greater levels of circular economy activity in Scotland. More details to follow or contact CCS directly.
• They have produced a really useful bike reuse toolkit for local authorities