The Scottish Government is failing to meet key targets for landfill reduction and recycling, according to new statistics. 

Earlier this year, ministers published their latest draft Circular Economy and Waste Route Map “consulting on key priority actions that will unlock progress across the waste hierarchy.”

It set a target of less than 5% of waste to be sent to landfill by 2025. 

However, according to the most recently published data from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), covering 2022, that number is currently at 23.2%.

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The government could also miss its target for 70% of waste to be recycled by 2025, with the figures showing it currently sitting at 62.3%.

That follows an increase of just 10% in 11 years.  A ban on disposing of Biodegradable Municipal Waste (BMW) in landfill was originally scheduled to come into force in 2021, however this commitment has been hit by a series of delays, and will not take effect until next year.  BMW refers to waste that will degrade and create methane emissions.

In 2022, 0.70 million tonnes of BMW was sent to landfill.  Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur said he was worried ministers could end up sending Scotland’s waste to England.  In 2022, the then circular economy minister, Lorna Slater told Mr McArthur export was a possible “short-term” option to “bridge the expected capacity gap” when the BMW ban comes into force.  Mr McArthur said: “Landfill won’t be a dumping ground for this government much longer. With targets being missed by miles, however, it’s not clear what ministers plan to do with all its excess waste, and there has been some suggestion that the government could simply ship it south of the border.

“Carrying lorryloads of rubbish to be landfilled just beyond Berwick is even worse for the environment than landfilling it here due to the emissions generated by those journeys. If this was happening in reverse, the SNP would be up in arms.

“Rubbish progress and dirty tactics won’t cut it. Ministers must deliver support for businesses and households to reduce waste, through better recycling schemes and a latte levy, and facilitate a transition to more environmentally friendly methods of production.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We are clear that we must take responsibility for our own waste, managing and processing as much as possible here in Scotland.

 “We are taking action to boost Scotland's capacity to manage its own waste, and to strengthen public confidence in where recycling goes.  “Our £70m Recycling Improvement Fund is directly investing in recycling and reuse facilities across Scotland, with the overall recycling rate in Scotland at its highest level since records began in 2011 (62.3%), and we are continuing to work with potential investors to expand our reprocessing capacity.  “This will mean more and better quality recyclate is collected, creating significant economic opportunities and jobs while improving our environment.”