More Action Needed on Paint Recycling

I have called for the Scottish Government to take action and support introduction of paint recycling options across the country.

In a letter to Michael Matheson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, which you can read below, I wrote of the need for the Scottish Government to support local authority initiatives and turn paint into a circular economy.

I support for the Royal Society for Chemistry’s #PaintStashers campaign which aims to raise awareness of the issue of paint disposal with 75% of households estimated to contain leftover paint and only 2% of leftover paint currently reused or remanufactured.

I have written to the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport asking how the Scottish Government can support easier access to paint recycling facilities across the country in light of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s #PaintStashers campaign.

I have been in contact with local authorities in the Mid Scotland and Fife region and I am surprised by the difference in approach across different councils.

I believe this is an area where the Scottish Government can promote the concept of the circular economy in an area that has been overlooked despite recycling being an option without much technical challenge.

One local authority in my region stopped offering paint recycling services due to lack of uptake so it is crucial that local authorities are supported in offering and promoting these necessary initiatives.

The Scottish Government is great at talking green but now is the time to move past talk and take bold and decisive action to address climate change now.

Time has ran out on endless conversation on what we could or should be doing and I think the RSC’s campaign is a great example of action we could take now that would propel us towards a zero waste Scotland.

Post Author: Alex Rowley

http://www.alexrowley.org/about/