Scottish Government must mend broken waste management system

Figures published today (28 Oct) show that the Scottish Government’s poor record on waste management continues, with environmental campaigners saying that sluggish recycling rates and a rise in incineration of waste are evidence of a “broken system”.

The data, published by SEPA, show 2024 recycling rates have risen by only 0.7% compared to 2023 and there has been a huge surge in incineration rates, which have risen by 14.3% in a single year.

The Scottish Government introduced a ban on new incinerators in 2022 but failed to close important loopholes. Since the ban, incinerators have been switched on in Aberdeen, Falkirk and Fife with two more in Irvine and Glasgow ready to start burning rubbish soon. These five incinerators have the capacity to burn over a million tonnes of rubbish between them, doubling the amount of rubbish that could be burned in Scotland. Six more incinerators have planning permission to be built in Scotland.

The roll out of a £70m recycling programme by the Scottish Government has not increased recycling rates, which have been stuck at around 45% for over a decade. It is now virtually impossible for the Scottish Government to hit its 70% recycling target for 2025.

Kim Pratt, Circular Economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland said:

“Most people in Scotland do their best to recycle but they are being failed by a Scottish Government that refuses to make the changes needed to fix our bins.

“Year after year, we see mounting evidence of a broken waste management system in Scotland. The Scottish Government’s 2025 recycling target is now a distant dream. Poor recycling rates and rising incineration means rubbish collections are expensive and ineffective. The impact of toxic emissions from incinerators is being felt by communities across Scotland and contributing to climate breakdown.

“Despite a decade of failure, the Scottish Government’s draft circular economy strategy, which is meant to improve the way we manage materials, is not ambitious enough. The final version of the circular economy strategy must make corporate polluters pay for their rubbish. We need greater investment in solutions that really work, like reuse and repair services that will save people money and are accessible to everyone.”

The Scottish Government’s draft circular economy strategy is open for consultation until 13th January.