Historic Environment
Scotland (Waste and Resources Plan)
3. Brian Whittle (South
Scotland) (Con)
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the culture
minister has had with Historic Environment Scotland regarding the
organisation’s waste and resources plan, including any potential
impact of the Deposit return
scheme on its operations. (S6O-02031)
The Minister for Culture,
Europe and International Development and Minister with special
responsibility for Refugees from Ukraine ()
I engage regularly with Historic Environment Scotland to discuss
its strategic plans and key developments. I have not discussed
the Deposit return
scheme specifically with it. I understand that it is
preparing to implement the scheme as an opportunity to increase
levels of recycling in line with Scotland’s national targets. I
have asked Historic Environment Scotland to write to Mr Whittle
with a detailed answer to his question regarding the potential
impact of the DRS.
Brian Whittle
Historic Environment Scotland has nine sites with restaurants or
cafes and more than 70 sites with shops that could sell
single-use drink containers. That makes it a retailer and
potentially a return point operator. According to Historic
Environment Scotland’s waste and resources plan, it must ensure
that it is
“compliant with ... legal obligations”
and its obligations in relation to
“implementing the new Deposit return
Scheme”.
Can the minister tell me whether Historic Environment Scotland
intends to purchase reverse vending machines at any of its sites
and say how many of its sites have applied for and been granted
an exemption?
Historic Environment Scotland is making preparations to implement
the Deposit return
scheme in line with the launch date. Regarding impacts
from a waste perspective, municipal waste, such as household-type
waste, that is collected at Historic Environment Scotland sites
makes up about half of the waste that the organisation generates
and is a waste stream in relation to which it has been struggling
to increase recycling. I believe that, in 2021-22, Historic
Environment Scotland recycled around 29 per cent of that waste,
despite having recycling-on-the-go bins. It hopes that the impact
of the Deposit return
scheme will help to improve that rate and help it to
meet its waste targets, which are aligned to Scotland’s national
target.
However, to give Mr Whittle some reassurance, I can say that I am
due to meet Historic Environment Scotland tomorrow, and I will
raise the representations that he has made at that meeting.
Maurice Golden (North East
Scotland) (Con)
Under the Deposit return
scheme, visitor sites and venues will have no choice but
to use the scheme’s single logistics partner to collect returned
containers. However, those sites and venues will also have
existing contracts with other waste firms. Can the minister
guarantee that historic sites will continue with local businesses
rather than the one that is owned by the American private equity
firm?
As I detailed to Brian Whittle, no concern has been raised with
me by Historic Environment Scotland around the implementation of
the DRS. Similar to the position that I set out
to Mr Whittle, I am happy to make representations on behalf of Mr
Golden to Historic Environment Scotland when I meet it tomorrow,
and I will ensure that its full response is provided to Mr Golden
as well as to Mr Whittle.
