How would you feel about increasing your business’s profits while helping preserve the Scottish environment for your children and grandchildren? Sound good?

You might not know this but we’re now less than 30 days away from some pretty major changes for the way in which businesses in Scotland dispose of their waste.

The Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 were passed by the Scottish Parliament on 9th May 2012, and they aim to help Scotland become one of the most resource efficient nations in Europe.

As of 1st January, these new regulations will be in place which will require businesses to take all reasonable steps to recycle of their waste as possible.

And it’s not just businesses affected by this. The regulations will also require all local authorities and waste contractors to meet these high recycling standards.

At first glance, these changes appear as though they could be quite confusing and may take a while to get your head around. That’s why we’re here.

To avoid the risk of your business being hit with a substantial fine, we thought we’d give you a head-start on what to expect when the new regulations come into place, allowing you to prepare for changes.

1. Your business must present metal, plastic, glass, paper, and card separately.

2. Those of you running food businesses with over 50 kg of waste per week must present it for separate collection.

3. From January the first it will be illegal to dispose of food into the public sewer.

4. Businesses located in rural areas are exempt from the requirement for food regulations.

These sound like great ideas for the environment, but what’s in it for you and your business?

There are many positives that come with Zero Waste Scotland. As we said earlier, it will actually help increase your company’s profits. But in addition, you’ll also gain an advantage over your competitors. So there’s really nothing to dislike about these new measures.

In order to assist more Scottish businesses, Spectrum is offering a free of charge Waste Regulations consultation and audit to help advise you on the best way forward to help your business meet the regulations in time, and assist you in becoming even more compliant, profitable and sustainable in the future.

To arrange this free of charge consultation, give us a call on: 0141 887 5000 or drop us an email, quoting ‘Waste Regulations’.

To learn more about Zero Waste Scotland, or any of the services we offer, you can keep an eye on our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages as well as our website.