Council must put its own house in order - Iain Whyte

​Last week the City of Edinburgh Council patted itself on the back over a 7 per cent reduction in climate emissions.

Inverleith Councillor Iain Whyte

It did so despite this coming from external factors, such as grid decarbonisation, and being well below the 11 per cent needed to meet its unachievable 2030 Net Zero target.

Meanwhile, the same report suggested we drop a target to improve waste recycling admitting that it hadn’t been achieved. So much for addressing the things we can influence most.

A survey of UK “Cities” using 2020/21 data placed Edinburgh sixth bottom for recycling with a paltry 37 per cent of waste treated this way. Compare this to Newport in Wales which managed 67 per cent and where the public are much more tuned in to recycling.

​Iain Whyte is not prepared to drop city's recycling target

Since 2021 Edinburgh has crept up to 39 per cent but the target has been 45 per cent for many years. None of Edinburgh’s expensive changes to bin systems or heroic statements by councillors ever seem to make any difference.

The latest political excuse for dismal litter and recycling rates is that Edinburgh’s deprived areas suffer more from these problems, and it is harder to turn them around. But that shouldn’t stop us improving things when other UK Councils do much better.

Take Kingston-upon-Hull – I would never denigrate that city, but I have never heard it described as hugely affluent. Yet in 2020/21 it managed a recycling rate of 49 per cent and had much better public attitudes to recycling. Firmly in the UK top ten it is a full 12 per cent ahead of Edinburgh on material recycled.

Faced with this information I wasn’t prepared to drop Edinburgh’s recycling target. I want it replaced with an achievable one that increases over time and with practical actions to improve things.

I also want us to learn from those councils like in Hull that do so much better. I’m pleased to say that colleagues accepted my suggestions at the Committee, and we should hear more about how we can improve recycling later in the year.

The key focus for the Conservative councillors will always be improving our local services. Forget the self-serving political posturing – the council must put its own house in order.

Councillor Iain Whyte is Conservative group leader on City of Edinburgh Council