Waste plan is ‘wasted opportunity’ for Scotland

Civil society groups and environmental campaigners are warning of a ‘wasted opportunity’ and demanding major changes to the Scottish Government’s draft plan on waste and material use as its public consultation closes (13 January).  

The groups have written to the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action Gillian Martin to highlight how an improved Circular Economy Strategy could play a key role in transforming the ‘throwaway society‘ in Scotland. Fairer and more sustainable use of materials can have huge benefits for society, from creating green jobs to making products last longer and saving councils money as less waste needs to be managed, campaigners say.  

The letter from 30 charities, community groups, experts and influencers warns that Scottish material use is ‘more than double the sustainable limit’, consuming over 100 million tonnes of materials each year – approximately 19 tonnes per person. The plan was also slated for a lack of commitment to reducing material use, the absence of any mention of plastic and a ‘failure to hold big businesses accountable for their harmful practices.’  

Over 1100 members of the public have emailed the Government to share concerns about the Strategy, which is being developed after the Parliament unanimously passed a Circular Economy Act in 2024.  In December 2025, international experts wrote to the Scottish Government around the need for the strategy to tackle human rights and environmental abuses in supply chains. 

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

“The Scottish Government’s proposed circular economy strategy risks being a costly wasted opportunity for Scotland. Ending the throwaway society is a huge opportunity to improve people’s lives, save councils money and protect nature. As it stands, this strategy is too weak to make the things we buy cost less and it won’t cut waste, pollution or carbon emissions.  

“The strategy does not mention plastic once. There are no delivery plans to reduce the one million tonnes of food waste thrown away in Scotland every year. It does not hold businesses to account for selling wasteful and harmful products and leaving the cost of cleanup to others.  

“We need a plan which aims to cut the amount of materials used in Scotland, make big business pay for the cleanup of their products and which will give everyone access to good reuse and recycling services.  

“Without these changes, the Scottish Government will be pouring public money down the drain and failing in their duty to protect people and nature from harm.” 

Michael Cook, CEO of Circular Communities Scotland, said: 

“We welcome the opportunity to respond to the proposed circular economy strategy. It is very timely and has the potential to take Scotland forward in its circular ambitions. 

“However, there is a lack of detail here and Circular Communities Scotland will continue to call for much more meaningful support for activities at the very top of the waste hierarchy, such as reuse and repair services. 

“Without significant investment in these services, we will not see the circular behaviour changes that our sector and Scotland demands.” 

Laura Anderson, Environmental Scientist and Campaigner, said: 

“This strategy speaks positively about circularity, but it avoids confronting one of the biggest drivers of waste and pollution: the continued growth in plastic production. A credible circular economy cannot be built while the tap remains fully open on single-use plastics. 

“The draft plan fails to set any meaningful commitment to cut plastic at source, and that is a serious missed opportunity. Recycling and behaviour-change initiatives will never keep pace with an industry that is still being allowed to produce ever-greater volumes of unnecessary plastic. 

“If we are serious about tackling waste, climate impacts and environmental harm, we must stop treating plastic as an afterthought and start acting where it matters most, by reducing production, not just managing the consequences.” 
 
A draft version of the circular economy strategy was published by the Scottish Government in October 2025, with a 12 week public consultation closing on Tuesday 13 Jan. The Scottish Government are expected to publish the final version of the strategy later this year.