WASTE AND RECYCLING – ZERO WASTE PARLIAMENT
We have a target to reduce our waste going to landfill by 100% by 2020 and to recycle or compost 90% of that waste by 2020. We still have a way to go, but in the meantime our building users can help us reduce waste and make use of our comprehensive recycling facilities by following these simple steps.
Step 1: Reduce
It is far better to reduce waste produced in the first place. This saves transport and processing costs and emissions. Consider the following;
- Do you really need the item? Does anyone else in the office or team already have one?
- Can you buy a less harmful product? i.e. with more recycled content
- Ask for documents to be supplied by email rather than in hard copy
- Think twice before printing material that can be read on-line
- Photocopy and print double sided
- Make full use of existing stationery items before ordering new ones
- Eat at the Employee Restaurant using the plates and cutlery rather than the disposable takeaway ones
- Bring lunch to work in Tupperware rather than using plastic sandwich bags
Step 2: Reuse
Many items are disposed of before they are at the end of their life. Consider the following before throwing it away;
- Use the un-printed side of paper for draft documents and notes
- Use glasses or mugs rather than plastic cups
- Use your own reusable cup for take away coffees and teas. You can even earn extra loyalty point when bringing your own cup
- Reuse envelopes or use returnable envelopes
Step 3: Recycle
We have a comprehensive recycling system at the Scottish Parliament. Every effort to recycle items should be made before disposing in the non-recyclables bin.
Paper – blue label
- Any colour of paper or mainly paper product
- Staples do not need to be removed from paper
- Windows do not need to be removed from envelopes
- Wire or spiral bindings do not need to be removed from note pads
Cardboard – blue label
Any type of cardboard or mainly cardboard product
- Coffee cup sleeves can go in here, but not compostable coffee cups
Plastic bottles – red label
- Any type of plastic bottle including lid
- No other grade plastic other than plastic bottles should go in here, other plastics will be incinerated as the best environment option for them in the non- recyclables bin
- Labels do not need to be removed from glass jars or plastic bottles
Glass – green label
- Any colour or type of glass
- Labels do not need to be removed from glass jars or plastic bottles
Cans – grey label
- Cans and tins, ideally with no food in, but do not need to be thoroughly clean
Food and Compostable packaging
- Any food, cooked or uncooked
- Food should be taken out of containers, unless the container is compostable
- Compostable packaging including Scottish Parliament take away coffee cups, hot food containers, soup containers, salad containers and take away cutlery
- Some other takeaway food containers are compostable (not Starbucks at the moment), it will state this on the packaging or have a symbol on it.
- No plastic bottles with liquid in, these should go in the plastics recycling
- Tissues and napkins are welcome in this bin
Non Recyclables – black label
- Only plastics and items which can’t be recycled should go in here
- No batteries or electronics (it is illegal to dispose of them in this bin)
- This waste will be sent to be incinerated
There are also special disposal routes for special items such as batteries and electronic equipment.
