Ministers have quietly dropped a nationwide recycling target after repeatedly failing to meet it, the Herald on Sunday can reveal.

A strategy document, published by the Scottish Government in 2016, set an ambition for 60% of household waste to be recycled annually by 2020.

However, the latest official figures from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), show it was never met and also that the percentage actually got worse over the years since the target was set.

In 2016 and 2017 45% and 46% of household waste was recycled in those years respectively, that fell to 45% in 2018 and 2019. In 2020 only 42% of household waste was recycled, while in 2021 and 2023 the proportion was 43%. The figure for 2023 is due to be published in October. 

READ MORE: Scotland's net zero climate targets 'never possible' admits McAllan

The updated strategy document, published in January this year, setting out a route map on waste and recycling to 2030 did not include a target.

There was scope for the Scottish Government to introduce targets in its Circular Economy Bill, due to reach it final parliamentary stage by the summer.

Part of the bill says recycling is one of several options for a national target, but no details of the ambition or timescale is given in the legislation. An optional local authority target can only be imposed after April 2030.

Conservative MSP Maurice Golden put down amendments to the bill to include a 50% household recycling target by 2025 and 60% target by 2027 (levels set by the government in 2013 and 2016 respectively), but ministers rejected his proposals. 

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Environmental campaigners last night criticised the Scottish Government for abandoning its 2016 target which comes after it dropped a key climate change target to reduce carbon emissions by 75% by 2030. Last week net zero secretary Mairi McAllan said those targets were "always beyond what was possible”.

The campaigners described the latest shelving of a green target as ‘unbelievable’ given the government work to bring in the circular economy law specifically designed to tackle waste.

They are hoping ministers will think again about scrapping the target and include them in the legislation before it debated and voted on in its final parliamentary stage this month.

“It’s unbelievable that the Scottish Government is taking a backwards step on recycling. Like with our climate targets, ministers have failed to take the action needed to achieve the targets and now they’re trying to wipe their hands of them," said Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland.

“The Circular Economy Bill was meant to turn Scotland’s failing recycling systems around, while building on it to transform our material use, but instead the Scottish Government has chosen to abandon targets to improve household recycling altogether. 

“Better recycling is the most basic step towards creating a circular economy. Everyone in Scotland deserves access to high quality reuse and recycling services. 

"The Scottish Government has invested £70m in a recycling improvement fund and including targets is a key way for the public to know if this investment is having a beneficial impact."

She added: “The Scottish Government must revise its approach to the Circular Economy Bill if it truly wants to improve how materials and waste are managed. It must include targets to reduce the carbon footprint of Scotland’s material use, measures to improve the human rights and environmental impacts in Scotland’s international supply chains, as well as mandatory national household recycling targets.”

Scottish Conservative MSP Maurice Golden said: “Household recycling targets are a crucial component of any workable circular economy, which is why the Scottish Conservatives pushed for a renewed commitment to them in the bill. 

“But the SNP-Green government opposed them – perhaps because there has been no progress on existing targets for the past decade.

“Even at this late stage, the SNP must now finally do the right thing and adopt the Conservative proposals on these targets, rather than settling for their usual big talk and failure to deliver.”  

National household recycling rates in Scotland have flatlined for a decade, never rising above 46%. Wales, in contrast, has made steady progress and has raised household recycling to a national average of 65%. Their target of 70% by 2025, is expected to be met.

The circular economy bill is a piece of "framework" legislation which set out the principles for a policy but leave the detail to be filled in later by ministers. MSPs have complained this type of bill does not have sufficient information to fully scrutinise it either in terms of its policy proposals or how much they will cost to deliver.

Circular economy minister Gillian Martin succeeded Lorna Slater last month after Ms Slater was sacked following the collapse of the Bute House Agreement between the Scottish Government and the Greens.

Appearing before Holyrood's net zero committee she turned down Mr Golden's amendments saying separate work was ongoing to establish new targets and including targets in the bill would "pre-empt" detailed considerations.

"I understand [Mr Golden's] intentions with those amendments, but I will set out why I cannot support them," she said.

"They would pre-empt the detailed consideration and consultation that will be required before any future statutory national targets are set."

She added: "Setting relevant statutory targets for the circular economy will help to provide a strong focus for action and make clear our intention in terms of policy and ambition. We have set out our intentions in that regard."

A Scottish Government spokesperson said:“The overall recycling rate in Scotland is at its highest level since records began in 2011, but much has changed since current targets were set in 2010.

"The climate emergency has intensified our focus on emissions reduction, and how we view and treat our resources.  

“Our Circular Economy Bill will establish the framework to give ministers the powers to introduce statutory targets. Our updated Circular Economy and Waste Route Map consultation sets out our commitment to determine new targets for Scotland from 2025. 

“This approach is based on the Climate Change Committee’s own advice to consider separate waste streams and carbon-based metrics, when setting future targets.“