MSP COMMENDS WORK OF GREENER HAWICK GROUP

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 19th Jun 2008

Jim Hume, MSP for the South of Scotland and Shadow Environment Spokesman, has commended the work of the Greener Hawick Group.

Jim Hume said:-

"The Greener Hawick Group was set up last year and is now a fully constituted body so congratulations to the organisers and founders who have worked very hard to get this far.

"Many folk will remember the Green Heart of Hawick event in May which was a weekend of exhibitions, talks, seminars and discussions at the Tower Mill. As a result of the weekend's success, the Group has now identified a number of projects to work on. Some projects will be very localised, but others will be Borders wide.

"The Group's work on environmental issues is hugely topical and crucially it looks at ways in which communities can make a difference on issues like local food production, recycling, waste management, local energy and energy conservation.

The MSP continued:-

"I've just launched my campaign on excess packaging, a subject which resonates with everyone I speak to, and have been campaigning on local food for over a year now. As well as that, I've been taking part in Friends of the Earth Scotland's energy challenge for the past year so I'm sure that over the months to come I'll be able to exchange ideas with Greener Hawick."

ENDS

Notes to editors.

Jim Hume has had two Members' debates in the Scottish Parliament and the text of both motions debated are shown below.

1.That the Parliament welcomes the innovation and success of the state-of-the-art Eco Deco waste treatment plant near Dumfries which is the first facility of its kind in Scotland; notes that by using advanced technology the plant can process up to 65,000 tonnes of waste a year, recovering resources from waste and eliminating the need for several kerbside boxes and bags as well as wheeled bins; regrets that the UK's levels of waste production are increasing exponentially, with approximately one million tonnes of packaging waste produced in Scotland each year; notes that, although packaging regulations are largely reserved to Westminster, waste management including waste minimisation and recycling are devolved to Scotland, and therefore believes that tackling excess packaging should be a central objective of the forthcoming supermarket summit and that decisive action should be taken to reduce excess packaging through all available levers, including working with product designers and manufacturers in Scotland to encourage sustainable design and sustainable products, developing improved packaging guidelines for adoption by retailers and their suppliers, introducing further Producer Responsibility initiatives and installing ambitious recovery obligations in the producer responsibility regulations for packaging, developing improved systems for consumers to complain to retailers and Trading Standards officers about excess packaging, and that waste points should be provided in supermarkets where customers can deposit unwanted packaging.

2. That the Parliament recognises the benefit to our health, the environment and Scotland's farmers, fishermen and rural areas of choosing more local, fresh, seasonal produce; believes that by specifying requirements for freshness, delivery frequency, specific varieties and production standards the public sector can take a lead in the promotion of local food; notes the success of the East Ayrshire school meals pilot in showing how procurement rules can promote locally grown food and support Scotland's local suppliers; considers that the school meals pilot should be rolled-out across Scotland, and recognises the importance of action across the public sector to encourage the procurement of more locally grown produce.