Scottish ministers have been urged to follow through on a pledge to ban the burning of waste after new statistics revealed the capacity to do so has increased sevenfold since the SNP came to power.

The figures, from the Scottish Government, also show that there has been an increase in the capacity of 400,000 tonnes to incinerate municipal waste since last year, when a ban was announced by ministers.

The Scottish Government insisted that its strategy of “limiting and gradually reducing” incineration capacity, will help ensure “future waste infrastructure is aligned with our ambitious carbon reduction ambitions”.

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The statistics show that in 2007, when the SNP came to power, there was a capacity for municipal waste incineration of just 200,000 tonnes but that soared to 1 million tonnes by 2019.

In 2023, the capacity is expected to rise by 400,000 tonnes to 1.5 million tonnes.

Last year, Greens Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater announced that the practice of burning waste in incinerators would effectively be banned with no new plants to be allowed to be set up.

The ban on approving new incineration capacity followed Dr Colin Church’s independent review of incineration capacity, commissioned by Ms Slater.

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But several projects to increase incineration capacity are in the pipeline.

Pressure to burn waste could increase with Scotland to introduce a ban on sending waste to landfill by 2025.

Scottish Conservative MSP Maurice Golden said: “Listening to Scottish Government ministers you’d think incineration was a thing of the past in Scotland.

“But these statistics tell the real story.

“Incineration of municipal waste has increased seven-fold since the SNP came to power.”

He added: “And even after the Greens claimed the practice would be banned, capacity rose by a further 400,000 tonnes.

“The Scottish Government needs to start being honest with people when it comes to these important environmental issues.

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“Clearly incineration forms a major strand of the Scottish Government’s waste strategy and will continue to do so for years to come.

“Lorna Slater should swallow her pride and come clean on what her own statistics are already telling us.”

Scottish Labour net zero spokesperson, Sarah Boyack, said: "The Scottish Government waxes lyrical about net zero but they have made much less progress than they should have.

"From the absolute debacle of the DRS to selling off Scotland's green energy sector to foreign investors on the cheap, the SNP have neglected our net zero targets time and time again.

"Only Scottish Labour has a real plan for net zero that will include a UK wide green energy plan that will bring thousands of jobs into Scotland and reduce energy bills for people across the country."

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A Scottish Government-commissioned report, published in February, recommended that the burning of all plastic should end by 2030, as well as operators being urged to deploy combined heat and power with incinerators – something no Scottish plants are yet to do.

Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “The ban on new incinerators in Scotland is a good first step to halt the alarming rise in incineration.

“The Scottish Government must now go further and urgently develop a phase-out plan for existing incinerators.

”Incinerators as some of the largest sources of carbon emissions in the country so it is vital that we reduce their number if we are to meet our climate commitments.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Reducing waste and increasing recycling are key to tackling the climate crisis and ensuring we all enjoy a healthy environment.

“That is why we commissioned an independent review into the role of incineration in Scotland and have accepted its recommendations in full.

“This included the recommendation that no further planning permission for incineration facilities beyond what was already in place should be granted, which was implemented in full.

“We have been clear that developers should ensure their plans are informed by the review’s findings.

“This approach, of limiting and gradually reducing Scotland’s incineration capacity, will make sure we not only manage our waste today, but that our future waste infrastructure is aligned with our ambitious carbon reduction ambitions.”