Circular economy - Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle

> Black Isle Repair Cafe
> Circular economy for Scotland?
> Clachworks Inverness

July 2023

Circular Communities Scotland campaign for a strong and ambitious Circular Economy Bill

From NESCAN Hub August updates

At Circular Communities Scotland, we believe in the transformative power of a circular economy to create a more sustainable and socially just Scotland.

Our campaign ‘Continuing Our Call for a Strong and Ambitious Circular Economy Bill’ maintains our message to the Scottish Government – put bold reuse policies at the heart of Scotland’s Circular Economy Bill.

The Scottish Government has long supported moving to a circular economy, but we believe progress has been too slow. If Scotland is to achieve its net zero target by 2045, we need to reduce our carbon emissions by 75% by 2030.

Zero Waste Scotland have estimated that 82% of our carbon footprint is driven by consumption.

Now is the time for meaningful action!

Read our full Policy Paper for Scotland’s Circular Economy Bill 2023

What is the Circular Economy Bill? The Scottish Government published updates to its proposed Circular Economy Bill on June 13th 2023. This legislation aims to redefine how waste and resources are managed in Scotland.

What is the Circular Economy? We believe we can help tackle the climate emergency and promote social and environmental justice for communities across Scotland by supporting a shift from the linear economy to a circular economy. In a circular economy we keep products in high value economic use for as long as possible through reuse, repair and recycling.

Consultation on the bill has been extended until 1 September.

Respond to the consultation

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June 2023

Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill introduced

The Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee is seeking your views on the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill, which was introduced by the Scottish Government on Tuesday 13th June 2023. 

The Bill aims to ensure Scotland makes progress towards a circular economy, a concept which is defined in the Bill as:

• cuts waste, carbon emissions and pressures on the natural environment
• opens up new market opportunities, improves productivity, increases self-sufficiency and resilience by reducing reliance on international supply chains and global shocks
• strengthens communities by providing local employment opportunities and lower cost options to access the goods Scotland needs

The Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee is calling for views on the bill, which can be submitted via the above link.

The consultation closes on 1 September 2023.

> Previous circular economy discussion

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Spring 2023

Change works 'Too Good to Waste' bulletin

Edinburgh-based Circular Economy ideas.

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March 2023

A Swap Shop for TBI?

As you can see in the item below from their March newsletter, Skye Climate Action operates a very popular Swap Shop, previously weekly as 'Waste Not Wednesdays', and currently on a series of consecutive or close together dates.  Ideas circulate from to time about setting up a TBI Swap Shop, but they run into the problem of requiring premises  of some kind in which to store stuff between events; not necessarily a building - one thinks of a shipping container, garage, garden shed or (as appears to be the case in the Skye picture) a polytunnel or tent, as other possibilities.

If you would be interested in pursuing the idea of a TBI Swap Shop - and better still if you have somewhere which might be suitable for storing stuff, please email  info@transitionblackisle.org .

March 2023

Skye Climate Action 'Waste not' swap shops

Waste Not is back!

Having a clear out? Need to de-clutter?

Help to develop a reduce, re-use and recycle culture on Skye
by cutting down the amount of waste going to landfill.

“One person’s trash is another’s treasure.” 

Bring along your old and unwanted items to one of our
WASTE NOT events.

Clothes, toys, tools, bric-a-brac, books, CDs, DVDs etc.
Kitchen items, fabric, yarn, craft materials….basically anything that’s
too good to go in the bin and might be useful for someone else.

Waste not Wednesdays took place regularly through March and April 2023

Venue: The Waste Not Green Sheds @ 9 Torrin, IV49 9BA
Time: 10am – 5pm
This is a ‘swap shop’ style event where items can be taken away for FREE! 

Any questions contact: beckyplasticfree@btinternet.com

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March 2023

Black Isle Repair Cafes now established

Black Isle repair cafes are a joint initiative of TBI, Black Isle Men's Shed and the Highland Community Waste Partnership.  Following a trial event at the Highland Climate Festival in June 2022, they have been established as regular monthly events, with the location rotating round the Black Isle villages.

If you've got stuff you'd like to get repaired, or would like to volunteer as a repairer or just to help generally with a cafe from time to time, contact Gillian Newman at  blackislerepaircafe@gmail.com .

 

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January 2023

Circular Economy for Scotland? - legislation this year

A brief review of the current status of the Scottish Government's Circular Economy bill was provided by environmental campaigner and consultant Dr Richard Dixon in The Scotsman of 15 December 2022.

Scotland's Circular Economy Bill is attracting widespread public support so SNP and Green government should be ambitious.

The public are demanding more action on waste, including targets for our consumption of key materials, in the forthcoming Circular Economy Bill.

It was first promised in 2019 but was then put on hold because of the pandemic. It is now firmly back on the agenda, with the results of a public consultation published recently and a draft Bill expected in the Scottish Parliament next year.

Read the full article

A more detailed examination of the need for a Circular Economy Bill is provided by a policy paper published by Circular Communities Scotland in May 2022.

This set out ten key policies which they believe 'will significantly advance our progress to a more circular economy'

Circular Communities Scotland key policies

1.  National reuse targets – this will help local authorities prioritise reuse over recycling. 
2.  Clear responsibilities for circular economy – clear responsibilities for circular economy targets, strategies and actions will support faster change. 
3.  Statutory requirement for reuse facilities – this is vital to ensure consistent reuse provision across Scotland. 
4.  Investing in local authority recycling centres – this is urgently needed to deliver adequate and effective set aside for reuse provision. 
5.  Investment in reuse and repair projects – investment is needed to grow reuse and repair provision across Scotland. 
6.  Embrace right to repair – greater systems to support repair are needed to increase the lifespan of products. 
7.  Extended Producer Responsibility – any EPR scheme needs to prioritise the principles of the waste hierarchy and support the social economy. 
8.  Ban unnecessary product destruction – this will stop products being destroyed which have not even been used once and provide quality products for reuse organisations. 
9.  Circular public procurement – diverting some public procurement to reuse and recycled products will provide a strong boost for the circular economy. 
10. Phase out single use products – by replacing single use with durable products we will avoid unnecessary waste. 

Ireland passed a Circular Economy Act in July 2022.

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January 2022

Clachworks - exciting new group set up in Inverness

Clachworks believes in the circular economy which aims to reuse materials rather than throwing them away.

The circular economy is a model which seeks to eliminate waste by finding ways to reuse materials indefinitely. This can be done by sharing, reusing, repairing, remaking, refurbishing, recycling items and their materials for as long as possible.

Clachworks' founder Lauren Pyott writes

My name is Lauren Pyott and I’m the founder of Clachworks: a new social enterprise working towards creating an open space for making and remaking in Inverness. in these blogs I’ll be discussing some of my motivations for starting the social enterprise and about some of the projects we have lined up. I’ll also be talking about why I think the environmental movement has to have social justice at its heart..  .   .   .

I moved back to Inverness three years ago and whilst I was delighted to live in such a beautiful part of the world again, I was also saddened to see how hard life can be here for many. Unemployment is high in Inverness and it tragically has one of the highest suicide rates in the country. Last year, I decided to set up a social enterprise Clachworks to try and tackle some of these issues from within the community.

Clachworks will be a socially inclusive space for making & remaking in Inverness. We believe that the tools, skills & resources needed to create & repair things shouldn’t cost the earth & should be accessible to all. We have plans to open a tool library, open-access workshop space, community garden & café, facilitating a transition towards the circular economy.

By sharing resources amongst the community, Clachworks aims to lower personal costs for individuals; reduce the overall consumption and waste of goods; and foster skills development and community solidarity. Ultimately, we want to create a space for people to make things, skills and friendships. This will hopefully be based in a heritage workshop that was originally used to construct the Caledonian Canal over two hundred years ago, and by doing so we seek to honour the legacy of the trades and tradespeople that once made Inverness flourish.

Clachworks received a UHI award for Best Social Impact Business in 2021.

More about Clachworks

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June 2022

Clachworks newsletter - opportunities presented by new premises

Clachworks' latest newsletter excitedly announces the successful leasing  of a heritage workshop building on the Caledonian Canal in Clachnaharry, which they hope to occupy by the end of the summer. 

Once we’re officially in, the real work will begin as we plan to transform the site into a safe, accessible and creative space for the community. Our vision is to create a socially inclusive space for making and remaking, with a tool library, makerspace, community garden and cafe. 

Read the newsletter

Clachworks website

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