Letter: Wasted chance

With regard to your article "'Throwing out food worth millions' - hotels and restaurants under fire" (7 July), it is important to be aware that many small Scottish businesses would like to recycle more, if only there were more flexible and affordable facilities and services available to them.

November 2010 FSB research showed that only 30 per cent of members in the hospitality sector said they were content with the recycling services available in their area. And 96 per cent of them would recycle more if there were better facilities.

Indeed, the report on which the article is based notes that top barriers to recycling amongst non-recyclers included a lack of recycling services in the area (29 per cent) and a lack of supplier collection service (21 per cent).

In Scotland, a higher proportion of our members rely on local authority services for waste collection and recycling. We have already voiced concerns to the Scottish Government that the implementation of Scotland's Zero Waste regulations are likely to drive up waste management costs substantially for businesses in the short to medium term as local authorities pass on the burden, because, in many areas, affordable, market-led services are yet to develop - especially in rural and remote areas.

Local and central government could work harder to ensure affordable recycling and waste disposal facilities are open to the small business community. This should be their immediate priority - not blaming businesses for whom many appropriate facilities will not be available.

Mary Goodman

Senior Policy Adviser

Federation of Small Businesses in Scotland