Eco-innovation opportunities in the waste management sector in Scotland

Creating more circular economies that retain and recirculate the value of resources within an economy is gaining significant attention, with the concept of industrial symbiosis assisting businesses to reduce resource leakage from local economies. An eco-industrial park applies industrial symbiosis on the scale of an industrial park and may incorporate additional features such as shared infrastructure and services that assist in reducing environmental impacts and improving resource efficiency. This paper provides an overview of the application of the industrial symbiosis concept in Scotland and presents findings of the ACE Eco-Partnerships project, which attempted to identify and develop opportunities for industrial symbiosis in the Tayside and Fife region of Scotland, particularly on the scale of eco-industrial parks. The paper provides reflection on some of the barriers to eco-industrial park development, with specific reference to “retrofitting” industrial symbiosis onto existing industrial parks versus developing new eco-industrial parks

"The good days are amazing", an evaluation of the Writer's in Prison Network

The Writers in Prison Network (WIPN) was established and appointed by the Arts Council in April 1998 to administer the Writers in Residence in Prison Scheme. The Scheme places writers and creative artists into prisons across the UK to deliver creative writing, drama, video, music, oral storytelling, journalism, creative reading and publishing programmes. The Scheme employs writers who are experienced or established in particular literary fields; many have been creative writing tutors, or have worked in publishing, the theatre, television, radio or journalism. In administering the Scheme, WIPN supports up to 20 Writers in Residence at any one time (with an average of 15-16 residencies per year and a maximum of 22 residencies per year undertaken during the lifetime of WIPN). In 2010 the Hallam Centre for Community Justice at Sheffield Hallam University was commissioned to undertake an evaluation of the Writers in Prison Network. The evaluation was primarily qualitative in approach which aimed to inform and support the future development of WIPN