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Local initiatives

Reuse Pilots

Addressing Cardboard Waste on Skye

Cardboard for SME’s is a huge issue and it is estimated that three quarters of a small business’s waste comes from paper and cardboard.

Broadford & Strath Community Company (BSCC) are working towards reducing business cardboard waste in Skye, Lochalsh & Raasay.  The aim is to make sure that cardboard is being reused as much as possible and sign-post businesses to resources so they can reduce, reuse and recycle their cardboard waste. This will help reduce carbon emissions, reduce waste going to landfill and could save money for SME’s in the area.

In 2023, BSCC hope to introduce cardboard shredders, alongside existing industrial composting systems already in the Skye & Raasay areas to help create a more circular system for businesses & organisations that participate in the project.

A questionnaire has been produced to gather as much information from businesses on their cardboard waste which can be accessed here.

BSCC are also engaging with businesses by hosting business events and trade fairs to work with both the tourism and retail sectors to look at how to better reduce and recycle waste produced by the 750,000 tourists who visit each year and the 10,700 local residents who reside in Skye.

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Broadford & Strath Community Company speaks to businesses about reducing cardboard waste.

One of their main focuses will be on supporting businesses to reuse and reduce cardboard waste through reuse and recycling, including linking into brown waste for community composting.

Fiona Gallie, Broadford & Strath's Community Waste Officer has been speaking to Melissa Macdougall from Scottish Removal Services, based in Broadford, about her business’s eco-friendly practices when it comes to packaging, especially cardboard reuse, and how householders can reuse their cardboard at home.

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Reusable pizza box pilot on Skye

Broadford & Strath Community Company are looking into options for reducing packaging waste in the form of pizza boxes at their campsite and with local businesses. 

When there is a predictable pattern i.e. camp dwellers regularly taking pizza away from the same businesses, there is an opportunity to implement a reuse scheme. The pizza can be provided in a reusable box, that can be returned to the business upon the next visit.

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Promoting reuse in a small cafe, Inverness.

Velocity Cafe & Bicycle Workshop in Inverness is working to promote reusable takeaway packaging in their cafe. The aim is to normalise reuse among customers, demonstrate the viability of reusable options and encourage other local businesses to follow suit.

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Spotlight: Promoting reuse in a small cafe.

Our very own Partner, Velocity Café and Bicycle Workshop has been working to promote reuse to their customers. Measures have included retailing reusables, implementing a charge on single-use items, all underpinned by strong messaging and communications.

  

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Reducing single use containers in a school, Thurso.

Thurso Community Development Trust, has teamed up with Thurso High School to run a pilot project offering merits and prizes for reducing waste from single-use packaging.

The new project will support the school to provide food containers for hospitality classes in line with the Cost of the School Day Programme, an initiative that seeks to mitigate the impact of financial inequality.

Responsible waste management has to become trendy and popular with our young people. That’s why the reusable container pilot project is only a part of a multifaceted campaign that will encompass all the pupils of Thurso High School, not only those who attend Hospitality classes.

The Be a Solution campaign includes raising awareness on the subject of single use packaging and its harmful impact, promoting good recycling habits, competitions between the school houses, creative contests for all pupils, some changes in the administrative processes around informing parents about forgotten containers, creating a lot of engaging visual and digital content and of course – great prizes for the most active participants.

The leadership in social media campaign is in the hands of the pupils themselves. Newly formed Sustainability Committee, formed of the school prefects, will become creative designers of the #beasolution campaign.

Read more about the #beasolution campaign here.

 

Project Lead

Meal Service Reusable Packaging Pilot in Thurso

In September 2023 Thurso Community Development Trust launched a pilot project to introduce reusable packaging to their Meal Delivery Service. This pilot project aims to reduce the carbon footprint and wastage from the service. They used to deliver both a main course and a dessert in biodegradable tubs, in a disposable paper bag, which resulted in significant amount of single-use packaging items being sent to landfill. They wanted their service to not only to be convenient but also environmentally friendly, so they looked for a better solution. They chose reusable plastic containers and reusable thermal insulated bags as an alternative.

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Meal delivery service in Thurso launches new reusable packaging pilot.

Thurso Community Development Trust (Thurso CDT), part of the Highland Community Waste Partnership launched a pilot to introduce reusable packaging to the Meal Delivery Service they run. The pilot aims to reduce the carbon footprint and wastage from the service. Thurso CDT wanted their service to not only to be convenient but also environmentally friendly, so they looked for a better solution.

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Sharing libraries for single use items

Sharing libraries vs single-use items

Another way that Partners are addressing single-use waste locally is by creating 'sharing libraries' in their communities, of reusable alternatives to common single-use items -such as reusable cups, cutlery and crockery for events.

To learn more about how these work visit the Share & Repair section of the website by clicking on the link below.

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