Introduction
A Draft Circular Economy Strategy (CES) for East Dunbartonshire was approved by the Council for publication and consultation on 10th November 2022 (PNCA/096/22/AL). The Draft CES sets out how the Council as an organisation will make its own processes and material use circular and also how the Council and its community partners will support businesses to become circular. It was also designed with the more general intention of spreading awareness of the Circular Economy within local communities and encouraging further engagement.
The production of a CES for East Dunbartonshire was a commitment in local economic policies (including the 2017 Economic Development Strategy and 2021 Economic Recovery Plan) and is also in line with national priorities. There has been a CES for Scotland since 2016 and the Scottish Government proposed a new Route Map for delivery of the Circular Economy in 2022, to be supported by legislation through a proposed Circular Economy Bill.
The Draft CES was developed in collaboration with members of East Dunbartonshire Economic Partnership and informed by early engagement activities with the local business community, across Council services and Community Planning Partners.
The draft actions are presented within three broad themes: Actions for Council Services; Actions for Businesses and Social Enterprises; and Actions for Communities. There is also a further section detailing plans for governance, delivery and monitoring of the actions and progress towards growing East Dunbartonshire’s Circular Economy.
This Report of Consultation details the activities which were undertaken to publicise the draft strategy the feedback that was gathered from local residents and businesses.
Jump to section:
- Methodology
- Publicity
- Responses to the Consultation
- Awareness of the Circular Economy
- General Feedback on the Overall Direction of the Strategy
- Feedback on the Actions for Council Services
- Feedback on the Actions for Businesses and Social Enterprises
- Feedback on the Actions for Communities
- Feedback on Delivery, Monitoring and Timescales
- Conclusions and Next Steps
Methodology
The public consultation on the Draft Circular Economy Strategy took place between 3rd January and 4th February 2023.
A consultation webpage was set up on the Council website with the draft strategy and links to a survey to collect responses and to an interactive map where respondents could add points to highlight local organisations and groups involved in circular activities. The map remains live after the consultation and a link will be added to the Circular Economy information page that will be created for delivery of some of the actions in the strategy around creating an online hub for Circular Economy advice and information for residents and businesses.
The online interactive map (hosted on Padlet):
Two online information events were held – one for businesses and one for East Dunbartonshire residents – to explain the draft strategy consultation and gather feedback on the actions. The online event for businesses included guest speakers from Zero Waste Scotland (Scotland’s national body for promoting the Circular Economy) and JawBrew (a circular business based in Milngavie). A meeting was also held with the Milngavie BID steering group to discuss the town centre actions and overall objectives of the strategy. The online events were hosted on EventBrite with free tickets which linked to a meeting on Microsoft Teams.
The online event listings:
Policy officers attended two school pupil forums – for P6/7 and S6 age groups – to highlight the draft strategy and collect responses from the pupils via an interactive online Padlet. Officers had also attended St Ninian’s Career Fair in November with information about employment sectors related to the Circular Economy.
Seven consultation pop-up events were held in libraries and leisure centres across the East Dunbartonshire Council area, with physical copies of the draft strategy available to browse (printed on recycled paper), officers available to explain and discuss the Circular Economy, and posters and flyers with details of how to formally respond to the consultation. The locations and dates of the pop-ups were as follows:
|
Location |
Date & Time |
|---|---|
|
Westerton Library |
Monday 9th January, 2.4pm |
|
Kirkintilloch Leisure Centre |
Tuesday 10th January, 4.30-6.30pm |
|
Leisuredrome |
Thursday 12th January, 4.30-6.30pm |
|
Milngavie Library |
Monday 16th January, 4.30-6.30pm |
|
Twechar Healthy Living and Enterprise Centre |
Thursday 19th January, 2-4pm |
|
Lennoxtown Hub |
Tuesday 24th January, 2-4pm |
|
Craighead Library |
Thursday 26th January, 2-4pm |
Flyers were also displayed in prominent locations within public buildings, community noticeboards within supermarkets and cafes and were shared with local small businesses and social enterprises such as charity shops and gift shops. The flyers included QR codes for quick access the consultation and event pages.
The double-sided flyers which were used throughout the consultation:
This sign was used at St Ninian’s career fair in November to show examples of jobs and industries which play a direct or indirect role in a Circular Economy and also was taken to the pop-up events to encourage interest in the draft strategy:
The images below show the tables set up for Pop-ups at Craighead Library and Bishopbriggs Leisuredrome.
Publicity
The consultation on the Draft Circular Economy Strategy was publicised on the Council website and social media channels. Infographics with facts about the Circular Economy were shared, along with two short animations – one aimed at businesses and the other at all residents of East Dunbartonshire.
Links to the consultation website and e-flyers were shared through the contact networks of East Dunbartonshire Economic Partnership and Business Gateway.
Targeted emails were sent out to businesses who had indicated interest in being re-contacted after having previously taken part in early engagement activities which informed the draft strategy – these included a business survey and an Ambassador Group.
These info-graphics were used on social media and at pop-up events:
The following images were shared on social media mid-way through the consultation period to further spread awareness of the consultation and specifically promote the online events for businesses and East Dunbartonshire residents.
Responses to the Consultation
Online survey: 16 responses
- 1 of the online respondents was the owner/manager of a local business, 1 was a representative of a third sector organisation and 1 was a representative of a community group.
- 7 of the individual respondents were aged 25-49; 3 were aged 16-24; 2 were over 65; and 1 was aged 50-64.
- All of the individual respondents lived in East Dunbartonshire: 6 in Kirkintilloch; 6 in Milngavie; 2 in Bearsden and 1 in Waterside.
Pop-ups and flyering: 7 pop-ups in different locations, plus some additional flyer hand-outs in local small businesses and surrounding areas.
- Although the leisure centres were expected to have a higher footfall the best-attended pop-ups were those based in the libraries, with more visitors to the stall and interactions with officers.
- Over 20 people in total actively engaged with the stall, with additional people being handed leaflets.
- Some feedback was also noted from conversations with people in businesses when flyers were being dropped off.
School forums: 2 school forums with pupil representatives in P6/7 and S6 from across East Dunbartonshire
- Around 12 pupils of each age group were involved with the forums.
Online events: 2 online events
- Participation in the online events was low with 4 participants in total across both events.
Emails: 2 emails were received in the Development Plan mail-box referring to the strategy.
The Council Communications team have produced a report outlining the number of visitors to the Council website, news feed and social media. The Circular Economy consultation webpage received 280 views.
Flyers handed out: 600 (approx.)
Total participants across all methods (survey, pop-ups, school forums and online events): over 65 people were involved in direct engagement methods, while a higher number will have viewed consultation materials without direct engagement (viewing the consultation website, newspaper articles and/or flyers).
Awareness of the Circular Economy
At the pop-up events a poster was used for visitors to the stand to indicate their awareness of the circular economy through tally-marks. The question asked was:
“How familiar are you with the term ‘Circular Economy’ and its meaning?”
The response options were:
- “Already know a lot about it”
- “Know a little about it, have heard the term before”
- “Don’t remember whether I’ve heard the term before”
- “May have heard the term but not sure what it means”
- “Never heard of it”.
A similar question was asked through the online response survey:
“Which of the following best describes your familiarity with the term ‘Circular Economy’?”
- “I was very familiar with the term before reading the draft strategy and I am actively involved in the Circular Economy through my occupation and/or personal interests.”
- “I was familiar with the term before reading the draft strategy.”
- “I had heard of the term before, but became more familiar with it after reading the draft strategy.”
- “I had never heard of the term before, but became familiar with it after reading the draft strategy.”
- “I had never heard of the term before and am still unsure of its definition after reading the draft strategy.”
- “Other”
This awareness question was asked slightly differently at the pop-ups compared to the online response survey, as the online survey makes the assumption that the respondents will have looked at the draft Circular Economy Strategy before answering. The purpose of these questions is, however, largely the same – to gauge how familiar East Dunbartonshire residents are with the term ‘Circular Economy’.
The majority of online respondents said they were familiar (4) or very familiar (5) with the term ‘Circular Economy’ already before reading the draft strategy. 5 people said that reading the strategy helped them to become familiar or more familiar with the term (3 of which had heard of it before reading, 2 of which had not). 2 people said that they had not heard of the ‘Circular Economy’ before reading the strategy and were still unsure of its definition.
The pupils at the school forum meetings were also asked if they had heard of the Circular Economy. Two of the groups of P6/7 pupils had heard of it before, with one of their responses mentioning a school project on the subject. The remaining 5 groups said that they had not heard of the Circular Economy, or were unsure if they had or not (two of the responses mentioned having heard the term ‘eco’ and knowing that it was related). There was a greater level of Circular Economy awareness among the S6 pupil forum – only one school group response out of five said that they had not heard of it before.
Through all of the engagement methods it was clear that the term ‘Circular Economy’ does not immediately resonate with people who have not heard it before, and even those who participate in circular activities already might not be familiar with the term. There was more recognition of the term within the online respondent group than was perceived in interactions at the in-person pop-ups, which probably indicates that more work will be required to spread awareness of the terminology and wider message beyond the sphere of people who are already very engaged with it.
The online survey asked people what they viewed as their own role in the transition to a local Circular Economy. Several of those who responded simply said that their role would be supporting the transition locally as a resident of East Dunbartonshire – some examples of actions given were: keeping up to date with information provided by the council, promoting to friends and family, supporting local businesses in their efforts, recycling according to available facilities, and using appropriate bins. The local organisations who responded also acknowledged the importance of being closely involved in the transition. Other comments emphasised that every individual has a personal responsibility to consider what they are purchasing and where they are purchasing from, and consider options such as reuse, second-hand and sharing with others – although more also needs to be done to encourage suppliers and manufacturers to do the same.
Both age groups in the pupil forums were asked the same question as the survey respondents – about what they felt was their role in the Circular Economy. The need to ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ was mentioned, alongside donating clothes and other items once these are no longer of use, buying second-hand, purchasing sustainable products from sustainable companies, and sharing and borrowing. One response from the S6 group also highlighted a responsibility to put pressure on energy suppliers and multi-billion-pound industries to be more sustainable. All of the pupil forum members agreed that they felt that it is important to spread the message about the Circular Economy, and a few mentioned having done projects on topics such as fast fashion.
Discussions with people who attended the pop-ups resulted in individuals stating the circular activities they already participate in – such as recycling, reuse and passing on second-hand materials to others. Some of the local businesses also mentioned making efforts to encourage customers to consider whether they needed plastic bags and also trying to stock more sustainable products (for example by selling greetings cards without cellophane wrappers, selling clothes made from quality natural fibres, selling antique or second-hand products, or selling products which were made using recycled materials). A couple of the businesses also noted that they offered clothing repair or alterations services, which was viewed as not only more sustainable, but a signifier of greater quality for the customer.
Council Response: One of the key objectives of the draft Circular Economy Strategy is to raise awareness of the Circular Economy, why it is important, and the ways in which everyone can participate in it. It is encouraging that the majority of online respondents to the consultation, participants in the pupil forums and many of those who spoke to officers at the pop-up events recognised their own contribution towards supporting the Circular Economy. However, it is clear that the term ‘Circular Economy’ is not part of everyday parlance out-with specific sectors and educational settings. The usage of this term is found in policy work internationally and is used by the Scottish Government, which is why the strategy for East Dunbartonshire has this branding. Although the policy landscape is sometimes described as being cluttered, the Circular Economy has a distinct definition within the wider sustainability umbrella and is becoming more widespread. More promotional work is required locally to achieve widespread recognition of circularity and build capacity by bringing together the efforts of individuals and organisations in East Dunbartonshire towards a common goal.
General Feedback on the Overall Direction of the Strategy
Respondents to the online survey were asked whether they felt that the draft Circular Economy was clear in its objectives and if they had any further comments on the draft strategy as a whole.
Clarity and urgency: A further survey comment on the draft strategy as a whole proposed that there should be a condensed version available, alongside clear information for the public on what happens to waste collected in the local area and how it is recycled. Other general comments stressed the need to act as soon as possible due to the urgency of the climate crisis and also so that residents can perceive a tangible impact of the strategy.
Council Response: Providing clear and useful information on how to participate in the Circular Economy is one of the delivery areas for the strategy (through the actions listed under the ‘Community’ section). A condensed version of the Circular Economy Strategy will be included online as well as links to local recycling information. The delivery timescale for the Circular Economy Strategy is designed to be one year, with the actions being built upon after this time, so residents should be able to see progress on the action areas within a short period of time.
Focus on collaboration: Some more specific suggestions for where the strategy should focus were offered in the survey responses, most of which fell into a theme of increasing collaboration across the Council and wider public sector – creating a group of representatives from Council departments and engaging with residents though virtual meetings, further involvement of schools, and collaborating with other Councils on procurement.
Council Response: The actions in the Circular Economy Strategy were developed with advice from colleagues across the Council and further collaboration will be required for delivery, including with education. Options for keeping residents updated on progress will be explored, as will any opportunities for collaboration with other Councils.
Overall direction: When asked for any further comments on the objectives of the draft strategy and the purpose of transitioning to a Circular Economy the people who responded to the online survey, and most of the people who spoke to officers at the pop-ups and while leafleting were supportive of the overall direction and focus on sustainability.
Council Response: Support for the general direction of the strategy and the Council’s wider efforts towards net zero are encouraging and underline why it is important to share information about how citizens and businesses can participate and benefit from the transition.
Purpose and objectives: 14 out of 16 responses stated that the draft strategy was clear in its objectives and 16 out of 16 said that it did a good job of explaining what the Circular Economy is, the context around it and why it is important. The two people who stated that the strategy was not clear in its objectives were asked for suggestions on how these could be clearer and the responses were to ‘explain more’ in general and to ‘explain how people can recycle more items’.
Council Response: It is positive to see that the majority of survey respondents felt that the objectives of the draft strategy were clear and that it was successful in explaining what the Circular Economy is. One of the action areas in the strategy is to raise awareness and there will be further work during the delivery of the actions to promote the Circular Economy and explain why the Council is supporting its development.
Making a difference: A small number of people who spoke to officers in person at the pop-ups and in town centres expressed that they felt it may be too late to make a difference, or that local and national government initiatives would be ineffectual on the global scale. The term ‘Circular Economy’ was criticised by some as being jargon.
Council Response: One of the challenges of adapting towards a more sustainable economic model will be the overwhelming nature and scale of the environmental impacts of the climate crisis, which can make people feel helpless. Terms used to define particular goals and concepts within the wider net zero narrative, such as ‘the Circular Economy’, can also come across as jargon. However, it is hoped that by increasing familiarity with the term and by sharing its meaning and providing more information about practical steps people can take and the impact that these will make collectively, we can help people to feel more confident in their power to contribute to positive changes.
Feedback on the Actions for Council Services
1. Procurement – Support the Circular Economy through Council Procurement
Supply chains: It was suggested in the responses to the online survey that the Council could look into reviewing its supply chains and how sustainable suppliers are, and that there are some networks which could help with this such as Net Zero Places Innovation Network.
Council Response: The Procurement actions in the draft strategy do include supplier engagement as well as introducing circularity as a consideration in evaluation of new contracts. As the Council is required to work within the contracts it has with existing suppliers, the focus is on providing these companies with information on the Circular Economy and engaging with them through ‘Meet the Buyer’ events, newsletters and other communication channels.
Prioritising sustainability: It was noted by one of the responses that Councils need to move away from prioritising cost and consider other long term goals (i.e. saving the planet). It was suggested that local authorities could work together to get the best products and services from ethical companies.
Council Response: The Council’s Procurement team were involved in the development of the actions in the draft Circular Economy Strategy and there are sustainability checkpoints in the existing procurement criteria which will be bolstered by updates to the guidance and the addition of Circular Economy information in delivery of action 1.A. East Dunbartonshire will also seek opportunities for benchmarking and collaboration with other Scottish Local Authorities through its involvement in regional partnerships and networks such as SLAED and COSLA per action 8.
School procurement: Another suggestion was to focus on encouraging schools to reduce plastic consumption and looking into sustainable materials which could be purchased for use in schools.
Council Response: Action 1.B in the draft Circular Economy Strategy focuses on looking at what data can be collected on consumption and purchasing of materials across the Council, which has been updated to include schools. Additionally actions 16.D and 16.E respectively involve support for schools to reduce food waste and encouragement of wider circular activities in schools including material reuse.
2. Built Environment – Encourage the Reuse of Existing Buildings and Land
Public estate: There were several comments in the online survey which supported the inclusion of land and estates within the transition to a local Circular Economy. A few of the commenters were keen to support retrofitting and reuse of buildings – one mentioned that the Council could seek advice from the Ecology Building Society. It was also noted that the usage and purpose of local authority buildings could be reviewed to see if any are underused (for example due to an increase in working from home) and could be sold to save on maintenance costs.
Council Response: In delivery of action 2 in the Circular Economy Strategy, the Council will continue to apply the Scottish Government's investment hierarchy to decisions made about built assets, which requires consideration of the future need for buildings and how to maximise the use of existing assets before moving onto other options like repurposing or replacement.
New development: One of the respondents added a point about wider environmental sustainability and development – stating that they would like to see the Council discouraging the development of car-parks and encouraging food growing and biodiversity. A programme called Incredible Edible Todmorden was mentioned as a food-growing case study.
Council Response: The Council includes environmental protection as a key consideration in local planning guidance and the Local Development Plan. A local Food Growing Strategy is also in the pipeline, and once this work is further along there may be opportunities to build in links with the delivery of the Circular Economy Strategy as noted in action 15.B.
Reuse of buildings for businesses: It was suggested that businesses could be offered incentives, such as discounted business rates, to set up in premises which have been disused in town centres or industrial areas – particularly businesses with circular or sustainable connections (e.g. cafes, repair shops and upcycling businesses).
Council Response: Per action 2.C in the Circular Economy Strategy, the Council is supportive of proposals for repurposing vacant buildings for appropriate uses, which includes businesses looking to take up vacant premises in town centres. There is not currently a programme to incentivise take-up of vacant units, and the majority of commercial properties are privately owned, which limits the potential for incentives to be offered, but the Council does monitor vacancies and benchmarks against other Scottish Local Authorities. Businesses who contact the Council or Business Gateway seeking properties are directed towards any available sites or units identified through the vacant and derelict land audit, business land audit and town centre data.
School estate transition: One of the responses highlighted the need to engage with all schools (in addition to those identified for rebuild or refurbishment to EnerPHit) to discuss their transitions to Net Zero.
Council Response: The Council is committed to involving schools in the delivery of the Circular Economy Strategy; the responses to the consultation, as well as from the pupil forums, have emphasised the importance of this. Action 16 is the most directly related to activities in schools, although work with consultants on bringing the entire learning estate to net zero is ongoing as noted in action 2.
3. Construction – Minimise Waste and Reuse Materials
Storage of materials for reuse: It was suggested that the Council could look into the feasibility of a centralised store for surplus construction materials which can be reused or potentially passed on to local businesses or community organisations.
Council Response: A store of the type suggested in this comment was considered during the development of the actions in the draft strategy. At present, the space and staffing requirements for this type of development are not feasible, but Council teams involved in construction will continue working to identify opportunities for material reuse as set out in action 3.C and the suggestion of a centralised store could be revisited in future.
4. Council Assets – Maximise the Use Value of Material Assets
Built Assets: The comment received in this topic area from the online survey related to the use of public buildings (see 2. Built Environment).
5. ICT – Use Technology to Drive New Ways of Creating Value in a Circular Economy
Staff engagement: A response to the online survey suggested setting up a sustainability engagement platform online for staff (the example given was a programme called Jump).
Council Response: Options for integrating the Circular Economy into all areas of the Council and staff culture will be explored as delivery of the strategy progresses. There may also be opportunities as part of the development of the local Climate Action Plan.
Online platform for residents: Some of the survey responses received under this action focused on online resources that could be provided for residents (see 14. Online Support and Information on the Circular Economy for Residents). Other Councils in the UK have used the Jump online engagement platform to set up local incentive initiatives and similar ideas could be explored for longer-term delivery of the Circular Economy and Climate Action Plan.
6. Waste – Provide Services to Support Reuse and Recycling
Positive improvements: A few of the people who looked at the draft strategy at the pop-up stalls noted that it was good to see the sections of the document highlighting things that are already being done by the Council, such as the expansion of the range of recyclable materials being collected in local household waste.
Council Response: As noted under action 6. in the draft Circular Economy Strategy, the Council will continue to work on expanding local recycling provision and adapt to any changes which come into effect from introduction of a Circular Economy Bill and Deposit Return Scheme. The 1-year delivery plan for the Circular Economy Strategy will also help to keep local citizens updated on the Council’s progress.
Recycling guidance: Some of the comments requested updates to the household recycling guidance, as product packaging can be confusing.
Council Response: As part of online guidance for residents on the Circular Economy webpage to be delivered by the Circular Economy Strategy (action 14.A), practical advice on recycling and reducing household waste will be provided.
Recycling provision for residents: There were some suggestions to increase recycling provision and infrastructure, such as: installing more bins in public spaces, providing textile recycling (for clothing and fabric items that cannot be resold), recycling bins in all schools and optimised bin collection days. Food waste and separated recycling bins for flats were requested by both online respondents and visitors to the pop-ups.
Council Response: The Council have various recycling banks distributed across the authority and are working to improve the capacity of the central recycling centre. Through the design of a new, fit for purpose Recycling Centre for the area, which aims to increase recycling capacity, these issues will be considered. Textile banks are privately contracted. We are continually growing our recycling at flatted developments, with 89% of flats currently receiving recycling services.
Business waste: It was suggested in the survey responses that the Council work with local businesses to prevent litter. The businesses who took part in the consultation highlighted some of the challenges they face with regards to materials which are difficult to recycle – either due to the availability of recycling points or the volume of certain materials. It was stated that tetra-pak can be difficult to recycle and it is expensive for businesses to purchase their own recycling point for it. It was also reported that the amount of cardboard used by businesses (e.g. from boxes when stock is delivered) is too much to fit in business waste and is difficult to dispose of.
Council Response: The Council will continue working on improvements to local recycling offerings. We will also investigate opportunities for collaboration with the Dunbartonshire Chamber of Commerce and town centre groups to support businesses with their recycling efforts (see actions 10 and 12).
Perception of Recycling: Several of the visitors to the pop-ups raised concerns about a rumour that Councils do not recycle the items collected from household waste and that it is all mixed together again after it is collected.
Council Response: As part of the online information to be provided to residents through delivery of Circular Economy Strategy action 14, the Council will look into sharing some local waste and consumption facts to keep local communities informed of the volumes of waste materials produced locally and what happens to them.
7. Collaboration with Community Planning Partnership
Community Councils: One of the responses to the survey mentioned the role of community councils in giving residents access to the wider partnership.
Council Response: The Council will continue to investigate areas for potential collaboration with community planning partners on delivery of the Circular Economy and will keep community councils updated on progress.
8. Collaboration with other Scottish Councils and Public Bodies
Networks: It was suggested by one of the respondents that the Council could look into networks which may be useful, such as the Net Zero Places Innovation Network.
Council Response: This suggestion has been noted for the Council to explore as part of work to deliver Action 8.
Regional Collaboration: A comment was received in support of the Council’s collaboration as part of Glasgow City Region and work on the Regional Economic Strategy.
Council Response: The Council will continue to support regional projects and to link local policy work to what is happening across Glasgow City Region, including collaborative work towards net zero and a green regional economy.
Working with other Councils: Some responses to the online survey urged East Dunbartonshire to seek opportunities for collaboration with other Councils, particularly bordering authorities.
Council Response: Delivery of action 8. in the draft Circular Economy Strategy will include investigating opportunities for collaboration with other Scottish Local Authorities.
Working with the local public health and care sectors: A suggestion included in one of the online survey responses was that the Council could work with local organisations who use PPE (such as the care sector) to investigate options for disposing of materials in a sustainable manner. An example was given of PPE materials being recycled into materials used in construction.
Council Response: The Council will discuss any opportunities for collaboration with community planning partners as set out in action 7.E, which could include working together to reduce the impact of single-use items.
Feedback on the Actions for Businesses and Social Enterprises
9. Online Circular Economy Support and Information for Businesses and Social Enterprises
Information to include: The action to create a page online with information for both businesses and social enterprises was positively received. Some suggestions from survey respondents as to what they would like to see from an online resource included: more support for start-ups; how to access grants and funding; clear and concise information all in one place (as organisations may not have time to look into things themselves).
Council Response: These suggestions will be used to inform development of the online resource during delivery of action 9.
Online networks: One of the survey responses suggested that an online networking/community group could be set up for businesses to share materials.
Council Response: This idea was previously discussed during early engagement activities with the local business community in advance of work commencing on the draft strategy. It was determined that the resources that would be required to set up and moderate an online forum would mean that it is not feasible for the Council to lead on this type of project, however if a town centre group or community partner takes on this idea the Council could signpost it on the online resource to be produced by delivering action 9.
10. Tailored support for businesses
Physical space or hub: A response to the online survey presented the idea of a community space or circular business hub for businesses to work together and with the Council.
Council Response: The concept of a physical circular economy hub or workspace could be worked towards in future iterations of the Circular Economy Strategy if interest levels from local businesses can be accelerated and capacity can be built (for example if new funding becomes available which could appropriately be used to deliver this). At present, and within the 1 year delivery period for the first Circular Economy Strategy, there is not an action to create a premises for Circular Economy activity.
Membership group/network: Another suggestion from the online survey was to set up a local membership organisation for circular businesses across East Dunbartonshire.
Council Response: Action 13 in the Circular Economy Strategy focuses on creating a local Circular Economy brand and finding ways to publicly recognise local organisations, through developing an online directory. This will be a crucial first step to identify local organisations participating in the Circular Economy, which could result in a more formalised forum or group in future, although likely not within the 1 year delivery timeframe for the initial Circular Economy Strategy.
There are existing local business networking groups facilitated by Business Gateway.
11. Tailored Support for Social Enterprises and the Third Sector
IT support: One of the online survey responses, from a local social enterprise, noted that support with setting up IT systems and moving things online would help to reduce waste from paper-based processes.
Council Response: Business Gateway provides IT advice and online workshops for businesses and where these could be part of an organisation’s journey to become circular they will be signposted alongside other advice provided on the new webpage to be delivered in action 9.A of the Circular Economy Strategy. East Dunbartonshire Voluntary Action also provide assistance specifically for local third sector organisations and this could include sharing any training opportunities which would help with moving online.
Home working support: A survey respondent highlighted that many people, including third sector volunteers, work from home so could benefit from improvements to domestic recycling and related advice on household and business waste.
Council Response: The Council has produced an online guide for home businesses, which includes advice on business waste, and could also be relevant to some third sector organisations. Options for updating this guidance and/or including advice on the new online resource to be delivered in action 9.A will be explored to ensure that those who work from home are directed to resources which can help them to become circular. The Circular Economy Strategy has been updated to reflect this.
Involving young people: It was suggested by one of the survey responses that young people could be involved in social enterprise activities by collaborating with schools on projects and potential work experience placements.
Council Response: The Council will discuss opportunities with local partners including East Dunbartonshire Voluntary Action when delivering action 11 and action 16.E of the Circular Economy Strategy, which has been updated to include this option.
12. Circular Economy in Town Centres
Encourage use of vacant premises: Similar to responses on the Built Environment action (2) it was suggested that incentives could be offered to encourage the use of empty shops and other premises in town centres.
Council Response: The Council carries out audits of town centres and keeps track of the number of vacant units, and this information can be made available to businesses enquiring about premises (see response to ‘Reuse of buildings for businesses’, action 2).
Encourage businesses to have recycling bins: A comment in response to the online survey suggested encouraging town centre businesses, such as cafes and restaurants, to have recycling bins for customers.
Council Response: As part of the information sharing and promotion of the Circular Economy to be delivered by the strategy, the Council will look for ways to engage with businesses, including those in town centres, and will work on coordinating efforts with town centre organisations such as Milngavie BID.
13. Recognition of Circular Organisations
Award programme: The survey received suggestions for developing the action to investigate options for promoting or creating an award scheme for circular businesses, which included ensuring that any scheme would allow small organisations to be recognised as well (not just those with capacity to divert larger volumes of materials) and tailoring a Council accreditation scheme to award organisations which actively help to meet or support the objectives in the Circular Economy Strategy.
Council Response: The feasibility of an award scheme administered by the Council will be investigated as part of delivery of action 13.D and any scheme put in place will use the principles of circularity set out in the Circular Economy Strategy as a basis for award criteria and will be designed so that small organisations can be eligible for recognition.
Feedback on the Actions for Communities
14. Online Support and Information on the Circular Economy for Residents
Recycling guidance: Ideas shared by respondents to the online survey include providing clearer online guidance on household recycling in line with labelling on packaging. It was also suggested that development of an app could be considered, with up-to-date information on recycling, waste collections and booking options for recycling centres and special uplifts.
Council Response: As noted in the response to the feedback on ‘Recycling guidance’ in action 6, the Council will ensure that the information currently provided on recycling is up-to-date and will link it to the new online Circular Economy resource for residents that will be created as part of the delivery of this strategy. The feasibility of an app will be discussed with the relevant Council departments but may be out-with the remit of the current Circular Economy Strategy.
Public meetings and Q&A: One of the survey responses suggested developing a Circular Economy committee and holding online meetings or local roadshows which can be participated in by the public. It was also suggested that interactions at these kind of events could help to generate a list of frequently asked questions and answers to put on the online hub.
Council Response: The number of responses to the consultation on the draft Circular Economy Strategy, including attendance of the online events, suggests that the public profile of the Circular Economy will need to be raised to increase local engagement. Action 15 includes promotion of the Circular Economy at community events (D), which should raise awareness and help to reach more local residents and businesses. If sufficient momentum can be built from the initial 1 year Circular Economy Strategy, this action could be built upon with more specialised events. The idea of creating a Q&A could be useful for the online resource to be delivered by action 14A and will be investigated further as part of the delivery process.
Internal meetings will be ongoing throughout the delivery of the Circular Economy Strategy and updates and key developments will be reported to the Council’s Place, Neighbourhood and Corporate Assets Committee, the meetings of which are streamed on a publicly-accessible platform online.
Digital inclusion: One of the respondents highlighted the need to remember those who may not be able to access online spaces.
Council Response: Although online resources play an important role in the Council’s service delivery, information will continue to be available at community hubs and libraries and this will include new promotional materials for the Circular Economy to be delivered by the strategy.
15. Circular Economy Community Engagement Activities
Leaflets and community groups: The online survey suggestions were to engage with communities through leaflets and ongoing meetings, and to find out about existing groups and activities relating to sustainability (such as local Guerrilla gardening groups).
Council Response: Two of the key delivery areas for the Circular Economy Strategy are to spread information about how to get involved in circular activities (15 A), and to collect information about what is already happening within the local area (15 D). An interactive mapping resource was produced as part of the consultation to allow local businesses, community groups and other organisations to highlight their activities – this resource was not heavily used, but will remain available and further work will be undertaken to build up the local Circular Economy network.
Community projects: Some suggestions of projects which should be encouraged within local communities included: material sharing/donations, projects to build community spaces and gardens, and creative projects which encourage innovation.
Council Response: If any projects such as the ideas suggested are set up by community groups, the Council would be happy to discuss opportunities for collaboration and support.
16. Develop the workforce of all ages to be equipped for a circular future
Coordinated practical support: It was suggested by the responses to the online survey that more practical support should be provided to schools and their associated pupil, teacher and parent forums to help them with circular economy initiatives. One of the responses noted that there are many teachers and parents who would be enthusiastic to get involved but may not have the resources to get started, so could benefit from an area-wide coordinated approach and sharing of best practice.
One of the people who came along to the pop-ups was a teacher involved in a local primary school Eco Committee, who was keen to see collaboration between schools and other council areas around the Circular Economy.
Council Response: The Education Service has an online Learning for Sustainability Community, with membership across all sectors working alongside EDC Climate Change and Sustainability officer, Quality Improvement Officer and a representative from Keep Scotland Beautiful. The aim of this community is to share good practice, promote professional learning and share resources. While Circular Economy teaching resources are already available, these will be more widely promoted and shared across all schools, alongside the publication of the Circular Economy Strategy.
Green skills: The S6 pupil forum was asked about how important it is to them that their future career could have a positive impact on tackling the climate crisis and all of the members said that it was very important to them. One group said that they hoped that having awareness as individuals could help them to change the workplace policies of their future employers, and another group said that they not only want to help prevent the continuation of the climate crisis but would like to have secure jobs and be part of new renewable and green industries. A group also highlighted the need to balance job security and environmental concerns – they said that they would not like to see job losses if, for example, the oil industry was to shut down.
Council Response: The local Community Learning and Development Plan includes an indicator for green skills, through which a mechanism is to be established for ‘a) sharing opportunities/vacancies with key partners, b) developing and delivering key messages about 'green' skills development in schools and with community groups and c) raising awareness of skills needed / employment opportunities with customers .’ Action 16A links this work to the delivery of the Circular Economy Strategy as it is important to spread a coordinated message about sustainability and circularity among both the future workforce and the local business community. The comments from young people are useful for highlighting to employers that the values of younger generations will have a bearing on their future career plans and therefore a knock-on effect on the job market, particularly in relation to talent in specific fields if there is increased interest in gaining qualifications that lead to green employment.
Feedback on Delivery, Monitoring and Timescales
Online survey participants were asked for any further comments on delivery, timescale, monitoring and governance.
Action and urgency: Several of the responses highlighted the need to make tangible progress on the actions as soon as possible, with commitments to continue doing more – ‘it can’t just be a paper exercise’.
Council Response: The Circular Economy Strategy is designed to be delivered within 1 year, after which the actions will reviewed and built upon, which should help to identify the areas where the greatest impact can be made as well as requiring monitoring of progress which will be available to local communities.
Flexibility: One response noted that a degree of flexibility will be needed to stay aligned with the Scottish Government while also being ambitious.
Council Response: The draft Circular Economy Strategy has been produced with awareness of the changes which may result from introduction of a Circular Economy Bill and the planned introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme. The 1 year delivery period for the initial actions should also allow flexibility.
Quality Assurance: It was suggested by one participant that the Council investigates whether there is a national standard (e.g. BS/ISO) that could be worked towards to demonstrate delivery of the strategy
Council Response: The ISO technical committee for the Circular Economy (ISO/TC 323) was set up in 2018. The Council will consider what is in this standard to understand any further best practise that can be applied to actions within the CES.
Conclusions and Next Steps
All feedback collected throughout the course of the consultation on the draft Circular Economy Strategy has been used to inform the final version of the document for approval and delivery.
Overall, there seemed to be support for the purpose and direction of the strategy in moving towards a Circular Economy.
The responses to the consultation have highlighted the following priorities for delivery of the Circular Economy Strategy:
- Involving young people and schools.
- Sharing relatable and practical information, both for organisations and individuals.
- Keeping local communities updated on Council projects and progress on delivering the strategy.
Some challenges identified through the consultation were:
- Recognition of the term ‘Circular Economy’.
- Engaging with businesses.
- Public engagement with economic policy topics in general being lower than other policy and service areas.
The following updates will be made to the draft Circular Economy Strategy:
- The feedback gathered from consultation on the draft strategy suggests that very few changes are required to the overall purpose, direction and objectives of the strategy.
- An additional explanation of the Scottish Government's investment hierarchy has been added to action 2A.
- A small edit has been made to action 9A to include guidance for home businesses.
- Action 14A has been further developed for the online information resource to be developed for residents to include practical help with recycling and cutting down on household waste, and local waste and consumption facts.
- An addition has been made to action 16E to include exploration of potential opportunities for partnership projects between schools and local social enterprises and community groups.
- A summarised version of the strategy will also be produced in story-map format as a result of feedback.
The following areas will be investigated further through the delivery of the Circular Economy Strategy and considered as part of the next stage of progressing the work:
- Options for collaboration with other Councils will be explored.
- One of the action areas in the strategy is to raise awareness and there will be further work during the delivery of the actions to promote the Circular Economy and explain why the Council is supporting its development.
- A condensed version of the Circular Economy Strategy will be provided online as well as links to local recycling information. Development of an app for this purpose was suggested and will be raised to the relevant Council departments, although decisions on this would go beyond the remit of the Circular Economy Strategy.
- There may be opportunities to build in links between the planned local Food Growing Strategy and future updates of the Circular Economy Strategy.
- The suggestion of a centralised store for reuse of Council materials, although not within the scope of the current Circular Economy Strategy, could be revisited in future.
- Options for integrating the Circular Economy into all areas of the Council and staff culture will be explored as delivery of the strategy progresses and may also link with the forthcoming local Climate Action Plan.
- Other Councils in the UK have used the Jump online engagement platform to set up local incentive initiatives and similar ideas could be explored for longer-term delivery of the Circular Economy and Climate Action Plan.
- The Council will continue to work on expanding local recycling provision and adapt to any changes which come into effect from introduction of a Circular Economy Bill and Deposit Return Scheme.
- The Council will continue to investigate areas for potential collaboration with community planning partners on delivery of the Circular Economy and will keep community councils updated on progress.
- The Council will continue to support regional projects and to link local policy work to what is happening across Glasgow City Region, including collaborative work towards net zero and a green regional economy.
- A Circular Economy group or forum for local organisations could be created in future, if there is a high level of interest from potential participants, although likely not within the 1 year delivery timeframe for the initial Circular Economy Strategy.
- The concept of a physical circular economy hub or workspace could be worked towards in future iterations of the Circular Economy Strategy if interest levels from local businesses can be accelerated and capacity can be built.
- Community events specifically for the Circular Economy could be set up once a wider network of businesses and organisations who could participate has been developed.