A cultural change is needed in western countries where people begin to view waste as a valuable resource rather than something to simply dispose of.
In line with the rest of Europe, Scotland is a recognised champion of the circular economy – the sustainable model increasingly being adopted by industries and governments worldwide. And today the country celebrated a landmark moment with the 100th addition to its rapidly growing number of re-use outlets.
“Re-use is one of the smartest ways in which we can keep products and materials out of landfill and in high-value use for longer. In Scotland we are working towards ambitious targets on waste, with no more than 5% of all waste to go to landfill and 70% of waste recycled or prepared for re-use by 2025,” Roseanna Cunningham, Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, said today during her visit to the country’s first re-use hub, Blythswood Care in Dingwall.
There are three re-use mega-stores in Scotland. Blythswood is one of those, along with the Edinburgh Remakery and the online ReStyle Argyll in Argyll and Bute – launched today. It means there are now 100 stores that have been granted Zero Waste Scotland’s Revolve certification – the country’s national re-use quality standard.
“Scotland has a strong profile as a circular economy leader and has achieved global recognition for its vision and achievements to date – including an international Circulars Award presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year,” added Iain Gulland, Chief Executive, Zero Waste Scotland. “It’s clear both consumers and businesses are waking up to the scale of opportunity in re-use and repair, as shown by Scotland’s first re-use hub in Dingwall, which is going from strength-to-strength, and the exciting latest hub, ReStyle Argyll, which I’m sure will attract lots of customers with its innovative online ordering system. The extent to which the Revolve brand has grown – with over 100 stores now certified, including the first private sector organisations earlier this year – clearly demonstrates strong support for a more sustainable, more circular economy in Scotland.”
It was also a record-breaking July for Scotland’s Re-use Line, a service where people can have their unwanted items collected for free – with 30 tonnes picked up.
