"Dealing with waste sustainably is fundamental to the future of Scotland and the future of the planet. Our performance on waste has improved considerably in recent months with notable progress on recycling and reducing the amount of waste going to landfill"
Richard Lochhead, Scottish Environment Secretary
Edinburgh: Ambitious plans for a zero waste Scotland, including tough new targets to increase recycling and reduce landfill, were outlined last week by the Scottish Government.
£7.5 million is to be invested in community recycling projects over the next three years according to Scottish Environment Secretary, Richard Lochhead.
Under the Government’s proposals, the amount of municipal waste being recycled or composted is to be increased to 60 per cent by 2020 and a new target of 70 per cent by 2025 and 5% or less will go to landfill by that year.
Tough targets are proposed for cutting landfill and increasing recycling. The Scottish people were also asked to make a commitment to recycling in the Greener Scotland campaign launched earlier this month.
The Scottish Government is to make £2.5 million available for each of the next three years to support community recycling projects.
Filling Ecopods at a Scottish in-vessel composting plant. (Photo Scottish Government)
The aim of zero waste is to maximise recycling, minimise waste and ensure that products are made to be reused, repaired or recycled back into nature or the marketplace, according to the ScottishGovernment.
Mr Lochhead said:
"Dealing with waste sustainably is fundamental to the future of Scotland and the future of the planet. Our performance on waste has improved considerably in recent months with notable progress on recycling and reducing the amount of waste going to landfill.
"However, there is much more we need to do if we are to truly make a difference locally and globally and today we are setting out our new waste policy to make Scotland greener and a world-leader on waste management.
Energy and zero waste growth
Mr Lochhead also announced that no more than 25 per cent of municipal waste will be used to generate energy by 2025 and there is to be zero growth in waste by 2010.
He also said that there would be a role for energy from waste that is compatible with sustainable development, as well as Scottish energy and climate change policies, though the Scottish Government rejected the need for large, inefficient, 'white elephant' incinerators.
Last month a report on energy from waste from the Sustainable Development Commission supported the use of smaller, more efficient plants such as combined heat and power plants or district heating.
He commented:
"I am determined to increase the focus on waste prevention and am committed to the existing challenging target of stopping the growth in municipal waste by 2010. Householders can play a part by home composting, rejecting junk mail, re-using carrier bags and avoiding food waste.
Businesses also have a role to play in sustainable waste management and referring to packaging and the use of plastic bags the Minister said:
"Retailers also have key responsibilities in this area such as reducing packaging, working with Government on reducing the unnecessary use of plastic bags and encouraging their suppliers to prepare products which minimise waste and can be recycled.
"But individuals can only do so much. Businesses must also give greater consideration to the impact of their actions and I want to see a much bigger focus on reducing commercial and industrial waste.
Think tank
The Scottish Government will be consulting on its waste policy as it develops a new National Waste Management Plan for Scotland over the coming year.
"As part of that process I am setting up a new Zero Waste Think Tank to ensure that Scotland benefits from the best possible expertise as we move towards a zero waste society", concluded Mr Lochead.
New municipal waste targets
The latest recycling/composting rate for municipal waste in Scotland, published by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is 29.8 per cent.
Municipal waste is largely household waste although about 15 per cent is business waste collected by local authorities.
The new targets that have been set for municipal waste by the Scottish Government are as follows:
Waste recycled or composted:
2010 40%
2013 50%
2020 60%
2025 70%
Waste used for energy:
2010 4%
2013 14%
2020 25%
2025 25%
Waste to landfill:
2010 56
2013 36
2020 15
2025 5
The Scottish Government will retain a Zero Waste Fund amounting to £41.1 million in 2008/09, £54.4 million in 2009/10 and £58.7 million in 2010/11 and resources for the community recycling projects will be drawn from this budget.