Council’s Climate Change Chair calls for information on fast food wrapping and packaging.

Fast food operators throughout the Highlands are being invited to discuss their policies or practices that they have in place in relation to food wrapping and packaging.

In a bid to address climate change issues and Highland-wide waste recycling, Councillor Drew Hendry Chair of The Highland Council’s Climate Change Working Group has written to fast food operators throughout the Highlands.

In the letter Councillor Hendry welcomes opportunities to open dialogue and increase the amount of co-ordinated working between the Council and local businesses. As a start to this process, he invites the businesses to provide some initial information on their current policies or practices in relation to food wrapping and packaging.

Councillor Hendry said: “People want to know that companies are taking their responsibilities seriously regarding waste and its contribution to climate change issues. In this regard I am keen to look at the issue of litter, particularly those relating to fast food.  This is a problem throughout the Highlands as it is in many other areas in Scotland.  In addition to associated costs for the Council (approximately £2.5 million per year) litter also has implications for business, tourism and human and animal health.

“The public are rightly concerned about needless and excess packaging and the resultant litter that is causes. The Council aims to demonstrate leadership and ambition in relation to climate change. We are committed to increasing internal and highland wide waste recycling, limiting the amount of biodegradable waste going to landfill, giving a high priority to community works including grounds maintenance, litter picking and street cleaning as part of the development of a climate change strategy for the Highlands. We also plan to develop a Sustainable Resources Plan which will focus on the principles of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. I believe that this approach reflects the Council’s role as a manager of its own estate; an employer; a service provider; a community leader and a signatory to the Scottish Climate Change Declaration.”