22nd September 2006
McNeil Welcomes Recycling Probe
Ross Finnie has agreed to investigate
allegations that household waste sorted for recycling by Inverclyde householders
is simply being thrown into landfill sites.
The concerns
over the effectiveness of Inverclyde Council’s recycling scheme, which is
backed by £11million of Scottish Executive investment, were raised by MSP for
Greenock and Inverclyde, Duncan McNeil, during Environment Questions in the
Scottish Parliament yesterday.
Mr McNeil
asked:
“Although I
am confident that much progress has been made on recycling, it has been reported
to me that plastic containers which my constituents in Inverclyde take the time
to wash and sort for recycling still go to landfill. After
18 months and £11 million from the Executive, does the Minister think that this
is acceptable?”
Mr Finnie
replied:
“Because we
knew that the member had asked the question, my officials inquired of Inverclyde
Council whether it has a particular problem with materials being sorted and
collected and then going to landfill; the council assured my officials that it
does not. However, now that the member has alerted me to the situation with
plastics, I will investigate the matter further.”
During the
exchange, it was also revealed that, in 2004-05, 51,000 tonnes of recyclable
material had to go to landfill. This,
according to official figures, is around 10% collected recyclable waste.
Speaking
after Question Time, Mr McNeil expressed his surprise at this figure, saying:
“My busy
constituents will be disappointed that any of the household waste, which they
take the trouble to clean and sort for recycling, is simply thrown into a hole
in the ground.
“I am
therefore glad that the Minister has agreed to investigate the specific reports
of plastics not being recycled in Inverclyde and I look forward to the outcome.
If the recycling scheme is to prove a success, the public needs to have
confidence that it is benefiting environment and is not just a PR exercise.”
ENDS
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