Climate Change Plan: third report on proposals and policies - written statement

Waste

The Environment, Climate Change, and Land Reform Committee (ECCLR)

1. The Committee recommended that the final Plan included detailed information on the contribution of the circular economy to the policies and proposals in the waste sector. (436)

• The Scottish Government agrees that further development of the circular economy is important as we move towards a low carbon world. We will continue to work with Zero Waste Scotland and other partners to identify how we can use the circular economy to drive waste reduction and improvements in the market for recycled material.

2. The Committee recommended that the draft Plan make clear the timescales for a consultation on whether the target for food waste recycling will be mandatory. (428)

• The Scottish Government is currently considering a comprehensive Food Waste Action Plan to achieve the target which will be published in 2018. This plan could include legislative measures that would need to be consulted on. The Scottish Government will clarify the timescales for any consultation at that point.

3. The Committee recommended that the Scottish Government give further consideration to the Committee on Climate Change's (CCC) recommendation that efforts to support recycling and food waste collections in rural and island communities should be strengthened. (427)

• The Scottish Government will continue to look for ways in which efforts to support recycling and food waste collections in rural areas and island communities can be strengthened.

4. The Committee highlighted concerns by stakeholders about the challenges associated with meeting the target to end landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste by 2020, the Committee recommended that the Scottish Government provide further detail about the actions they are putting in place to achieve this while ensuring that this does not result in an increase in this waste being treated in energy from waste facilities. (432)

• The Scottish Government accepts that some stakeholders have concerns about the challenges associated with the 1 January 2021 deadline for banning biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) to landfill.
• The Scottish Environment Protection Agency will shortly write to councils and private operators providing guidance on the administration of the ban and asking about their plans for compliance.
• Energy from Waste plants have a role in managing residual BMW. The Scottish Government is clear that waste should be treated in line with the waste hierarchy set out in "Making Things Last"^[20]. The hierarchy sets out that energy recovery is the last step before landfill. We will therefore continue, in line with our circular economy strategy, to seek to reduce waste arising, and promote reuse and recycling to maximise the circularity of our economy.

5. The Committee supported the Scottish Government commitments to exploring how producer responsibility schemes can be made more effective and developing new schemes for tyres, mattresses and furniture, and would like to be kept updated on progress on this work. (435)

• The Scottish Government accepts this recommendation and will keep the committee updated on this work, including its proposed consultation on a deposit return scheme, announced in the Programme for Government 2017 - 2018.