The Highland Community Waste Partnership ran between April 2022 – March 2025. Funded by the National Lottery Climate Action Fund and coordinated by Keep Scotland Beautiful, this project brough together eight community groups in the Highlands to reduce waste and promote more sustainable consumption. To learn more about the project visit: www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/highlandcommunitywaste.
The information on this page was correct until the end of the Highland Community Waste Partnership project i.e. 31st March 2025 but it is unlikely to be updated after that.
Community Composting
We looked at ways to make composting more accessible in the Highlands, whether by providing people with the knowledge and tools to do it at home or by setting up community composting initiatives.
For those interested in community composting this resource, developed by The Highland Good Food Partnership, The Highland Council and Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) with input from Lochaber Environmental Group, is the ideal place to start. It is a resource created for communities in the Highlands that are interested in starting or further developing community composting projects. there is a step-by-step decision making guide to help you get going or develop your project, as well as links to legal requirements.
Although learning to avoid wasting food in the first place is best (check out the Highland Community Waste Partnership food waste reduction workshops and also the Zero Waste Food Challenge resources), composting any food or kitchen scraps that are going to waste is an important part of reducing emissions, as well as generating a useful resource: compost!
Lochaber Environmental Group (LEG) and Highland Good Food Partnership (HGFP) worked with Kilmallie Community Fridge and Garden in Fort William to run a pilot community composting project to understand the feasibility of household community composting in the Highlands in areas where the Highland Council does not provide a kerbside food waste service.
The project raised awareness around reducing household food waste and provide an opportunity to sustainably manage unavoidable food waste. Participants were encouraged to get involved in the local community garden and events, and will receive finished compost to use in their own gardens. This project will remain in operation once the waste partnership has finished.
The project was officially launched on 26 April with 7 members now dropping off their household fruit and vegetable scraps to the community garden. More members are able to join as the project develops, please contact Kilmallie Community Fridge & Garden. Participants were given their own 3.5L home food waste caddy along with a composting guide and instructions on how to access the bins. Members are asked to record the weight of their bins that they drop off to compost. By April 2025 there has been over 600Kg of waste composted!
The project uses a combination of a 200 litre hot bin composter, purchased by LEG, and a standard wooden cold composting bin made by The Workshop Studios at Lochaber HOPE.
This project may be used as a case study for future communities looking to start something similar, by creating a user guide that helps people through SEPA/APHA regulations, promotion, member guidelines and so on.
For more information, please contact
Lochaber Environmental Group: info@lochaberenviro.org.uk
or
Kilmallie Community Friday & Garden : kilmalliecf@gmail.com
In Vessel Composting
Highland In-Vessel Composting Network
Working with the Highland Good Food Partnership and SAC Consulting on behalf of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) as part of the support service, Food and Drink TechHUB, an ‘in-vessel composting’ Common Interest Group (CIG) was created. This held online meetings for those people, communities or businesses interested in in-vessel composting. We wanted to develop a platform for members to explore shared challenges and ideas relating to managing food waste.
Benefits for members include support in understanding and applying for necessary SEPA and APHA exemptions, input from relevant authorities and experts in the area, support for businesses to save costs of waste disposal and purchase of compost and the potential to link businesses with communities to develop composting opportunities.
As the waste partnership came to an end, it was decided to move the group to a Facebook group so that those interested can still share learning and provide peer support. Highland In-Vessel Composting Network.
Coming Soon…..
At the end of the Highland Community Waste Partnership (HCWP) there were a number of case studies created. These will include spotlights on Kilmallie Community Fridge & Garden, Ardtornish Estate and Knoydart, and will be uploaded when they become available in the near future.
For now, please visit the Highland Community Waste Partnership legacy website for more information.
