Zero Waste Scotland Initiative
- Landfill bans for specific waste types, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and capturing their value
- Separate collections of specific waste types, including food (to avoid contaminating other materials), to increase reuse and recycling opportunities and contributing to the Scottish Government's renewable energy targets
- Two new targets that will apply to all waste: 70% target recycled, and maximum 5% sent to landfill, both by 2025
- Restrictions on the input to all energy from waste facilities, in the past only applicable to municipal waste
- Encouraging local authorities and the resource management sector to establish good practice commitments and work together to create consistent waste management services, benefitting businesses and the public.
Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead, 9th June 2010:
“Scotland is embarking on the zero waste journey to protect our environment and help our economy. We can't go on as business as usual because we can't afford to and because resources are finite.
In recent years, the people of Scotland have made substantial progress in cutting waste but households, businesses and wider society still produces enough waste to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool every ten minutes. Even when it comes to food, every home on average throws out £430 worth every year. Six million tonnes of the waste we generate ends up in landfill.
I am proud of the significant progress made in our journey to becoming a zero waste society, but there are still a number of hurdles in our path. This new plan can help us overcome them and re-energise and refocus our efforts.
We are taking decisive action and setting ambitious targets. This includes a new 70% target for all waste to be recycled by 2025.
Viewing waste as a resource opens many doors; rather than carelessly discarding materials to landfill, we can create new products and generate renewable energy, heat and fertiliser while creating over 2,000 jobs. The Zero Waste Plan will help deliver progressive landfill bans, with the end goal of no waste with reuse or recycling potential being landfilled by 2020.
Separating waste at the earliest possible stage will help recover the maximum value from different materials. By separating food waste, we will avoid contaminating other materials and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as generate more renewable energy.
This is a call for action from every individual and sector to do what they can. Scotland can be a cleaner, greener place to live with a thriving low carbon economy, and we must all work together to make it happen. I urge every Scot whether at home, out and about or in the workplace to join the journey to a zero waste Scotland.”
For more information, visit the Zero Waste Scotland website
