FINNIE QUESTIONS LOGIC OF FOOD COLLECTION TRIAL WASTE

Written by Ross Finnie on Fri 29th Jan 2010

West of Scotland Liberal Democrat MSP Ross Finnie is questioning the Scottish Government over the waste of the Food Collection Trial in Inverclyde.

Inverclyde Council told how the popular Food Waste Collection Trial will end on Sunday 31st January. A Scottish Government Grant was allocated to Inverclyde Council in 2008 fir a year-long Trial Food Waste Collection Service. More than 5000 households were selected to participate and residents were issued with information leaflets, kitchen caddies, corn starch liners and containers for the outdoor storage of food waste. The trial is being forced to end in spite of its success due to lack of funding.

Commenting Mr Finnie said:

"I have submitted several Parliamentary Questions and a Parliamentary Motion questioning the logic of funding a Food Waste Collection Trial for a year in Inverclyde only to end financial support after a year without any evaluation.

"This scheme was very successful in Inverclyde and I was extremely disappointed that the Council was forced to abandon the scheme due to a lack of funding.

"While I am pleased that Inverclyde Council are considering a combined food and garden waste scheme, the Scottish Government should be carrying out an extensive evaluation of this trial and looking at a way to roll the scheme out across Inverclyde, rather than wasting the entire trial."

Ends

Notes to Editors

Included below are Ross Finnie's Parliamentary Motion and Questions

S3M-05639 Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): Food Collection Trial a Waste- That the Parliament questions the logic of running a food waste collection trial for a year in seven local authorities across Scotland, only to end financial support for the trial after a year without any evaluation, and believes it to have been a waste of public money to have allowed the participating local authorities to invest in the necessary capital equipment, only to abandon the equipment after a year.

Lodged on Thursday, January 28, 2010; Current

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Executive why it encouraged Inverclyde Council and others to trial a food collection service for a year, but offered no funding for its continuation and carried out no evaluation of the trial.

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will achieve a zero waste policy if it does not provide financial support to allow local authorities to establish a long-term food waste collection service beyond the limited trial conducted last year

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Executive if it regards it as good value for money to allow local authorities to invest in the capital equipment necessary to carry out a limited food waste collection service and then abandon the project without any form of evaluation.