Maintaining an active interest in the area, ECO acts whenever possible to improve waste management in the county. ECO’s representatives attend meetings of a variety of waste minimisation organisations, such as SEPA (the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency) and OZW (Orkney ZeroWaste), which are seeking innovative and effective measures of dealing with waste minimisation and recycling in remote and rural areas of Scotland. A number of waste prevention techniques are commonly summarised as the so-called 4 R’s: Reduce, Re-use, Recycle and Recover.

ECO encourages the use of the 5 R’s. By including the “Resist” option in the above list we are suggesting that consumers take a more preventative route. If enough people take such action then this will ultimately affect the pockets of big business itself and will in time necessitate change.

Resist: This involves pro-active decision-making e.g.

• Refraining from purchasing products surrounded in excessive packaging.
• Opting for green products, perhaps environmentally-friendly cleaning products rather than the better known brands.
• Opting to use one’s own shopping bag or box rather than using the store’s plastic bags (even if these are 100% degradable).

Reduce: Wherever possible, waste reduction is preferred to the following three options.

Re-use: If waste is produced, every effort should be made to re-use it if practicable.

Recycle: Recycling is the fourth option in the waste management hierarchy. Although recycling does help to conserve resources and reduce wastes, it is important to remember that there are economic and environmental costs associated with waste collection and recycling. For this reason, recycling should only be considered for waste that cannot be reduced or re-used.

Recover: Finally, it may be possible to recover materials or energy from waste that cannot be reduced, re-used or recycled.

Businesses are being forced to change the way they manage waste. Faced with regulations, public pressure, landfill shortages and the need for increased resource efficiency, companies are beginning to move away from the waste treatment approach towards waste prevention.

Reduce, re-use and recycle are commonly known as the 3 R’s. Companies tend to focus only on these three in resolving waste management problems. In more innovative companies, 5 R solutions often emerge as a result of industry benchmarking or technological breakthroughs.

By practising waste prevention, re-using products, recycling, and making environmentally-conscious purchases, businesses can cut costs and increase profits. Cost savings take the form of:

• Lower waste disposal costs
• Lower waste treatment costs
• Lower energy costs
• Savings on materials and supplies
• A reduction in regulatory compliance costs
• Lower storage costs
• Cost recovery through the sale of recyclable materials
• Cost recovery through sales of 5 R’s technologies

Recent years have seen substantial growth in the amount of rubbish created by most prosperous nations. Statistics show that average municipal solid waste (MSW) arising in the OECD member states has risen by 2.6 per cent per annum since 1980. Some examples of MSW arising in kg / person / year is: UK 350, Japan 410, Germany 360, USA 730 and France 560. In the local context this results in an annual Orkney total figure of 7,000 tonnes of generated waste. Along with increased waste production there is however a raised environmental awareness worldwide. Many people recognise that far more needs to be done to conserve resources, safeguard the environment and protect human health. Attitudes are changing and there is an enthusiastic debate about the future directions of waste management policy and practice.

Agenda 21 called for sustainable and environmentally-sound development in all countries and observed that waste management was among the environmental issues of greatest concern to the global community. The report set out a framework of objectives and activities aimed at minimising wastes, maximising environmentally-sound re-use and recycling, and promoting safe waste disposal and treatment. The Orkney Islands Council has taken positive measures to improve waste management and satisfy these aims. Unwanted non re-usable local waste is presently shipped out of the county to a purpose built high-level waste to energy plant. While incineration with energy recovery is viewed as an acceptable option, material recycling is preferable.

Orkney, in line with the rest of the U.K., is striving to increase the recycled element of its generated waste. Many academics, government agencies and environmental groups are convinced that actions taken or not taken within the next few years will have a profound and long-term effect on our relationship with the environment.

{Extracts taken from and thanks to the World Resource Foundation} Allocations of £95,000, along with a further £235,000, will allow Orkney Islands Council (OIC) to upgrade its waste re-cycling programme. OIC has been granted Scottish Executive National Waste Strategy funding to promote and implement its new recycling aims and objectives. This exciting project will include extending the use of Green Cones throughout the County. The cones encourage home composting of household waste such as vegetable peelings, small grass cuttings etc. which currently end up in the weekly black bag collection. ECO welcomes the initiatives that OIC will implement to help householders to recycle, including:

• New civic amenity sites in Dounby and at Cursiter Quarry near Finstown.
• A fortnightly kerbside collection of glass for main villages and towns. This collected glass will be recycled as aggregate in concrete and re-used for projects such as coastal protection schemes.
• Major improvements to the existing composting operation at Bossack.
• Six additional mini recycling centres in remote areas to collect glass, cans, waste oil, textiles and paper.

Orkney Islands Council has recently acquired a kerb-side collection vehicle for recyclable material and in their continuing commitment to promote reduction and recycling , the OIC has recently appointed a Waste Recycling and Reduction Officer and a Waste Awareness Officer.

By 2005/6 the Council aims to exceed the Scottish Executive’s national 25% target by delivering 29% of the County’s waste for recycling. By recycling this amount of waste each year, OIC could save £100,000 per annum. ECO supports an Orkney Zerowaste policy that shifts the emphasis from disposal of waste to elimination of waste. Orkney ZeroWaste hope to undertake a feasibility study to develop an “eco-village recycling centre”.

Dr Sue Struthers, the driving force behind Orkney ZeroWaste, says the project will “house a collective, or co-operative of individuals, community groups and organisations undertaking a range of symbiotic recycling activities.” These would include:

• An initial sorting shed - sorting paper, plastic, metal, organics, white goods, furniture, vehicles, garden waste, construction wastes etc.
• Garden shop - for composting and shredding organic/garden waste, producing compost, mulch, wood chips, garden furniture, pots and planters.
• Refurbishment of furniture - for resale and /or donation to disadvantaged households.
• A building shop - for architectural salvage, doors, windows, grates, architrave, wrought iron, timber etc.
• An electrical shop - refurbishing (or dismantling) TV’s, stereos, radios, DVD players, toasters, microwave ovens, kettles, fridges, washing machines, cookers, computers, printers, scanners etc.
• Shop and café - selling products from all of the above recycling operations, salvaged knickknacks, crafts and art work (especially those using recycled and /or organic materials) and providing snacks and meals using locally farmed/cottage industry fresh produce.

The eco-village recycling centre will be comprised of a group of attractive environmentally-friendly buildings, preferably constructed using recycled materials and alternative building techniques. It will be serviced with alternative energy sources - wind turbines, passive solar heating and ground-sourced heat pumps, and will use a rainwater collection system, composting toilets and water treatment wetlands. The site will be landscaped and enhanced by trees, shrubs and gardens using site-made compost and mulch.

The centre will provide employment and training opportunities, promote enterprise and charity fundraising, produce discounted or free goods to underprivileged households, be a tourist attraction and provide an example of best practice and sustainability, which will attract further visitors.

Orkney Zerowaste are in the process of sourcing funding for its feasibility study which must be undertaken before the eco-village concept can go ahead.

For further information:

Dr Sue Struthers
Orkney Zerowaste
Hillbanks
Burray, Orkney
KW17 2SX
Tel: (01856) 731211; E-mail: skapa@dial.pipex.com