New fund to tackle farm waste

Scottish Conservatives have said that, if elected, they would establish a new circular Food Producers Fund to support food producers and rural communities.

The money for the new fund would come from unspent money from Scotland’s existing Circular Economy Investment Fund to reduce costs for businesses, while increasing rates of recycling and energy recovery and maximising the value of waste streams. Projects eligible for funding would include on-farm anaerobic digestion, waste hubs, micro-plastic recycling facilities and infrastructure purchasing.

The Circular Economy Investment Fund has so far allocated approximately £5 million even though the total funding available to small and medium sized businesses is £18 million.

Maurice Golden, Scottish Conservative shadow environment secretary said, “Our Scottish Conservative food producers fund would give rural communities and farmers the ability to recycle as close to home as possible. The SNP ban on plastic incineration will leave farmers, particularly those in rural communities, with very few viable options for recycling. The Scottish Conservative plan would remove the barriers to recycling that many farmers and rural communities face.”

Photo caption: Maurice Golden MSP

Photo Credit: Scottish Parliament

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