Scotland to go ‘zero waste’ by 2025

The Scottish government this week revealed plans for a ‘zero waste Scotland’. The ambitious target – part of a £150 million drive over the next 3 years – will be achieved through increasing recycling and capping waste incineration.

Environment secretary Richard Lochhead announced the plans to the Scottish Parliament on Thursday, which aim for recycling or composting of municipal waste to reach 50% by 2013, 60% by 2020 and 70% by 2025.

In the plans, landfilled municipal waste will be reduced to a maximum of 5% by 2025, and only a quarter of household waste will be sent to energy-from-waste plants.

Mr Lochhead announced to MSPs that “The government is opposed to large, inefficient energy-from-waste plants. Such plants could easily become white elephants and drain public funds.

“Prior to the Scottish Parliament, Scotland’s record was dreadful. We were a throwaway society, burying our waste out of sight and out of mind and recycling barely 5% of household waste. As everyone acknowledges, we need to move away from landfill.”

The Green Party criticised the plans to include energy-from-waste plants in the zero waste drive. Speaking for the Scottish Green Party, Robin Harper said that “It is grossly misleading for ministers to describe burning up to a quarter of Scotland’s waste as part of a zero waste strategy.”

Friends of the Earth Scotland welcomed the announcement, but said that a lot of work needs to be done to meet the targets.