Earlier this year, Scotland became the first country to have a national, government-backed programme with the stated aim of achieving zero waste. Zero Waste Scotland was set up to convert that idea into action on a large scale. Its delivery plan talked of touching the lives of everyone and fundamentally changing the way we view the materials which circulate in our economy.
Iain Gulland, director of Zero Waste Scotland, talked of the need to “engage people across Scotland, as householders, citizens, employees, business leaders and influencers in this new way of thinking and doing. Our approach is and will always be to bring people together and galvanise action around common interests.”
This week sees that turned into action. The organisation announced that 20 volunteer coordinators had been appointed to work in partnership with local councils and community groups in most regions across the country. Their job is to create a national volunteer network and, as a start, they have launched a search to find volunteers in the Lothians to help local residents boost recycling rates and reduce the amount of waste produced.
Kathleen Vaughn, the Zero Waste Scotland volunteer coordinator for Edinburgh and the Lothians at Changeworks, said that “local volunteers are vital to our efforts to help more people learn about the benefits of reducing waste and recycling more. I am very excited about recruiting and coordinating more enthusiastic volunteers in the Lothians who will encourage people to make simple changes which can help the environment and save them money.
“Every volunteer will receive expert training and everyone has the option to choose a specialist area. Whether you are interested in helping people combat food waste, start home composting, or learn about recycling, there is real scope in the work we will be doing to help different members of your local community.
Ylva Haglund, Zero Waste Scotland’s regional partnership manager for the east of Scotland, added that the “new volunteer scheme will consolidate previous efforts from our volunteer networks, providing them with local coordinators and training to make an even bigger impact. With a network of nearly 60 volunteers already we’re off to a fantastic start. But if we are going to meet our target to set Scotland on track to achieve a 70 per cent recycling rate, with only 5 per cent of waste being sent to landfill by 2025, then we must do even more.”
Anyone who would like to volunteer or even just to find out more can get in touch by email – zerowastevolunteers@changeworks.org.uk – or by calling 0131-555 4010. The organisers say that if people can’t make a commitment to volunteering, they can support the objectives by attending local events, speaking to community groups and providing advice and support to householders in the community.
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