Roseanna Cunningham says businesses that repair and reuse products can help improve the circular economy and fight climate change
A Scottish Government minister has told businesses and social enterprises they should do more to reuse and repair products in a bid to reduce landfill.
Climate change and environment secretary Roseanna Cunningham urged businesses to be more innovative about reuse of products while addressing the annual Community Resources Network Scotland conference in Perth.
She also announced the opening of Zero Waste Scotland’s Circular Investment Fund, an £18 million fund for innovative reuse and repair projects.
Without binding targets, it's hard to see how reuse and repair will become as mainstream as quickly as it needs to to make concrete progress on tackling climate change
Sophie Unwin
Cunningham said: “Reuse and repair activities are among the strongest ways to keep valuable materials in circulation for as long as possible and support a more circular economy. Reusing and repairing products can prevent harmful greenhouse gas emissions, support local jobs and provide affordable, quality goods and services.
“Scotland has a strong network of SMEs and social enterprises who can benefit from the opportunities of a circular economy.”
Reuse social enterprise Made in Edinburgh welcomed the announcement but said the Scottish Government should go further and create binding reuse targets.
As one of Scotland’s most successful social enterprises of recent years, its repair education business model has been proven to work, creating jobs and reducing waste.
Its chief executive Sophie Unwin, who won UK Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2016, told TFN repair creates more jobs than recycling and as an industry requires a fraction of the investment needed by large scale plants involved in traditional waste disposal.
"Reuse and repair has huge potential and it's great to see the Scottish Government recognising this," she said. "It now needs to go further and set a policy context in which waste prevention can thrive and be prioritised over end of pipe solutions like landfill and incineration. Setting reuse targets is one way to achieve this, as has been done in Spain, as is following Sweden's example and eliminating VAT for repair businesses."
“Remade in Edinburgh has argued for reuse targets since our inception in 2011 and wants to see these firmly on the Government's agenda. Without binding targets, it's hard to see how reuse and repair will become as mainstream as quickly as it needs to to make concrete progress on tackling climate change and move to a truly circular economy as set out in the Scottish Government's Making Things Last Strategy."
The Circular Economy Investment Fund includes a specific focus on innovative reuse and repair projects. Funding is available for small and medium sized enterprises operating in Scotland.
Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “The reuse and repair revolution has a vital role in an emerging circular economy. Our Circular Economy Investment Fund can help SMEs and social enterprises to develop innovative and transformative ideas that increase access to reuse and repair services and support the Scottish Government’s Making Things Last strategy.
“The continual move towards a circular economy can create opportunities for collaboration across the private, public and third sectors.”
