The Scottish Government is hosting a consultation on increasing recycling and cutting waste and is seeking your views on transitioning to a circular economy.
The consultation follows a previous one in 2022 with ministers wanting to improve on efforts by formulating a new Circular Economy and Waste Route Map which will outline plans for national reuse and recycling targets along with priority actions needed between now and the end of the decade to help drive Scotland’s transition to a circular economy.
Reducing single-use, disposable items like cups, banning the destruction of unsold goods and promoting the reuse of construction materials are just some of the actions being suggested as part of the draft Circular Economy and Waste Route Map consultation.
The actions complement provisions in the draft Circular Economy Bill which is currently at stage one in Parliament and include proposals for the creation of local recycling targets, reflecting the success of Wales which has one of the highest household recycling rates in the world.
Scotland has already embraced recycling initiatives and over the past decade has reduced the total amount of waste going to landfill in Scotland by over a third, with the most recent official statistics showing that Scotland met its 2025 target to reduce all waste by 15 per cent.
Circular economy minister, Lorna Slater said: “We have already made good progress across Scotland, significantly reducing the amount of waste we generate and landfill, but we need to go further if reusing and recycling goods is to become the default choice for households, businesses and the public sector.
“For people to do the right thing for the planet, it is crucial that everyone experiences a modern, easy to use waste service. This second consultation sets out our priority actions and the tools we will put in place to help everyone play their part in cutting waste and capitalising on the economic opportunities that a circular economy presents to businesses. I urge everyone to take part.”
Among the proposed priorities in the Route Map are to: reduce food waste from households and businesses; significantly improve recycling from households and businesses; embed circular construction practices; set new circular economy targets from 2025; minimise the impact of disposal of waste that cannot be reused or recycled; promote and support responsible production and consumption along with research on the environmental impact of actions, sustainable procurement practices, and skills and training.
The consultation and further details on the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map can be found on the Scottish Government’s website at www.gov.scot
The consultation will run until March 15 and will include data from the initial consultation in 2022 with the final route map being published later in 2024.
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