The Scottish Government seek support for new measures that will help cut waste and preserve precious resources.

Proposals to help tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis by supporting Scotland’s transition to a zero-waste and circular economy have been launched.

The measures, designed to significantly increase reuse and recycling rates, and modernise and improve waste and recycling services, are set out in two consultations – on a Circular Economy Bill and a Waste Route Map.

Key proposals include:

• banning the destruction of unsold goods to ensure that products never end up landfilled or incinerated when they could be used or recycled
• improving household recycling and reuse services and consulting on separate kerbside collection of textiles by 2025
• introducing new reporting to show where the recycling goes once it has been collected
• measures to reduce the consumption of problematic single-use items and promote the reuse of products
• new powers to tackle littering from vehicles
• a mandatory requirement for businesses to report surplus and waste figures for goods such as food and textiles
• powers to set local recycling targets, reflecting the success of Wales, which has one of the highest household recycling rates in the world

Scotland’s circular economy targets, outlined in the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan, include ending the landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste by 2025, reducing the percentage of all waste sent to landfill to 5% by 2025, and recycling 70% of all waste by 2025.

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said:

“To tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis, we need to rapidly reduce our demand for raw material, increase reuse and repair, and recycle more.

“We must make a circular option the easy option for Scottish households, businesses and the public sector. I want everyone in the country to experience a modern, easy to use waste service that makes it easy for people to do the right thing for the planet.

“We are already taking action, including delivering Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme and our £70 million Recycling Improvement Fund, but we know we need to move faster if we are to meet our climate obligations. It requires us to be bold, brave, and focused on delivering the actions needed – and this must be a collective effort.

“These consultations set out the key proposed actions and the tools we will put in place to help everyone play their part in cutting waste in our economy, capitalising on the economic opportunities that a circular economy presents to businesses.

“The Circular Economy Bill will give us the powers to cut waste in our economy while preserving precious resources and protecting our natural environment.”

Dr Liz Cameron CBE, Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce said:

“Scotland’s businesses can see the commercial, economic and environmental benefits of developing a circular economy.

“It’s essential though that the burden of delivery doesn’t fall excessively on businesses and that the Scottish Government, public sector and individuals also share equally in driving change.

“The Scottish Government must listen to the views of business, take forward a partnership approach to implementation and seek to fund and expand circular economy projects across Scotland which help SMEs to re-model through innovation, design thinking and new circular business models. 

“Scottish Chambers of Commerce will respond to the consultation in due course and set out the priorities for Scotland’s business community to fully inform the Scottish Government of our Networks views.”

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