Single-use items & packaging
The Highland Community Waste Partnership was funded by The National Lottery Climate Action Fund between April 2022 - March 2025. The project has now come to an end and this website will be converted into a legacy website by the Summer of 2025, featuring case studies, signposts and other resources.
In the meantime, to hear directly from partners about their work to reduce single-use items and packaging waste, you can view the webinar on our events page. If you have any questions please get in touch.
'Disposable' items are everywhere these days, from take-aways to online shopping. The true cost of producing these items is starting to add up - extracting raw materials, manufacturing, storing and transporting them - just for them to end up as landfill or litter.
By switching to reusable alternatives where possible, and making sure that we recycle what's left, we can continue to enjoy the things we love, whilst reducing the harm to our environment and communities that depend on it.
88%
of people in the Highlands are concerned with the amount of packaging generated by the things that we buy.
50%
of all plastic produced is intended for just one use. 36% of that is packaging.
91%
of packaging waste currently ends up as landfill or litter.
What we're doing
As part of our Conscious Consumption campaign, we are running a number of Highland-wide initiatives. Learn more about what you can do to reduce the amount of food and drink packaging that you use at home and whilst on-the-go.
We're collaborating with City to Sea to make six of our partner organisations their local Community Refill Schemes. This supports our work to reudce packaging waste and help more people to #ChooseToReuse and #TryRefill.
Find out more about your local scheme and get involved.
From Thurso to Skye, Partners are working on a number of projects, looking to address different kinds of packaging waste locally.
For more information about what they're doing, as well as news, learning and other udpates, click on the link below.
More resources
A move away from single-use items is not always straightforward. We all have a part to play. Read more about what can and is being done at different levels to make the switch.
The UK Plastics Pact
The UK Plastics Pact brings together hose responsible for creating plastic waste to find solutions for reducing its scale and impact. Pact members aim to: eliminate problematic plastics, reduce the total amount of packaging on supermarket shelves, stimulate innovation and help to build a stronger recycling system in the UK.
Extended Producer Responsibility
Keep up to date with the latest information from the Scottish Government on plans for the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme due to be introduced in 2024.
Top tips for switching to reusables
Moving away from single-use items can be easier than you think. Check out this handy guide from City to Sea of items you can buy and make, reminding us that reusables last for longer, saving us money in the long run as well as reducing our environmental impact.
