Watchdog puts Scottish Government on notice regarding incineration overcapacity

Environmental groups have reacted to the publication of an investigation by Scotland’s environmental watchdog, which shows the Scottish Government must take remedial action to prevent the risk of incineration overcapacity.

The report by Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS), says that reducing the risk of incineration overcapacity would “support Scotland’s climate objectives, contribute to the development of the circular economy, and prevent unnecessary risk of environmental and human health impacts.”

The Scottish Government has accepted the report findings and committed to implementing the remedial actions. ESS have put the Government on notice, requiring them to provide updates on their progress towards implementing the new measures.

Environmental groups have been concerned about incineration overcapacity for many years, formally raising the matter with the Scottish Government first in 2023. In June 2024, they requested ESS to intervene and review the Government’s lack of action.

Since 2023, new incinerators have started burning lorry loads of waste in Aberdeen, Grangemouth and Fife, and plants are almost ready in North Ayrshire and Glasgow. Together, these five incinerators increase Scotland’s capacity to burn waste by almost 1 million tonnes. Environmental groups highlighted how, without urgent action, another five incinerators, with a combined capacity of a further 850,000 tonnes could be switched on in Scotland.

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

“This report is a clear warning that Ministers must take immediate action to halt incineration growth which can harm both people and nature.

“For years, every decision which the Scottish Government could have used to reduced capacity has been used to expand it instead. Communities in Aberdeen, Fife, Grangemouth, Irvine and Glasgow must now live with these waste burning monsters on their doorsteps, belching out pollution for decades to come.

“The report from ESS is yet another warning to the Scottish Government that they must close the loopholes in its incinerator moratorium now, before it is too late.”

“The expansion has happened despite Scottish Government’s 2022 independent review on incineration which concluded that “…given the risks that incineration poses to human health and the environment, and the risk of lock-in, Scotland should not construct more capacity than it needs and only some of the currently planned capacity should be built.”

Incineration of waste is expensive, emits harmful pollution, contributes to climate change, and prevents effective reuse and recycling.

Shlomo Dowen, UK Without Incineration Network’s National Coordinator added:

“Far too much of what is currently incinerated is material that could and should be recycled or composted. Diverting this from incinerators would help improve resource efficiency, enhance soil quality by returning nutrients to the earth, reduce harmful climate emissions, and promote the circular economy. We need to better monitor and restrict access to existing incinerators rather than making things worse by continuing to allow yet more capacity to be permitted.

“It is therefore very welcome that the ESS has made it clear that they have now undertaken to monitor the Government’s implementation of the Indicative Cap on Incineration Capacity, as well as being poised to take additional steps to ensure delivery where necessary.”