Key Scottish Environment Statistics 2015

Waste and Recycling

Background

Waste is produced from a variety of sources including households, industry, construction and agriculture. Waste can have a serious impact on the environment through the loss of finite resources and the generation of pollutants. Recycling is one means to reduce Scotland's waste impact by transforming waste into new and useful products.

Waste Hierarchy

• Using less materials, products lasting longer
• Checking, cleaning, repairing, refurbishing etc.
• Turning waste into new materials and compost
• Anaerobic digestion, incineration with energy recovery
• Landfill and incineration without energy recovery

The waste hierarchy^[90] governs the design of waste prevention and management legislation and policy. It places an emphasis on seeing waste as a potential resource, with landfilling at the bottom of this hierarchy with waste prevention, preparation for reuse and recycling at the top of the hierarchy. Sending waste to landfill not only results in the loss of resources but also leads to further extraction and processing of raw materials which may consume large quantities of energy, release pollutants and destroy landscapes and ecosystems.

Waste management accounted for over 5% of Scotland's net greenhouse gas emissions in 2013, so reducing the impact of waste types which have the largest contribution to this helps with meeting Scotland's climate change targets.

Targets and Indicators

Many targets have been set in an aim to reduce waste, most of which are set out in Scotland's Zero Waste Plan^[91]:

• 2013: 50% of household waste recycled/composted or prepared for re-use
• 2020: 60% of household waste recycled/composted or prepared for re-use
• 2020: Less than 1.26 million tonnes biodegradable municipal waste
• 2025: Maximum of 5% all waste sent to landfill
• 2025: 70% of all waste recycled/composted or prepared for re-use

Waste Sent to Landfill: 2000-2013

Million tonnes

Why this measure is important

Sending waste to landfill results in the loss of valuable materials and generates pollutants. In particular, biodegradable waste such as paper, food and garden waste emit methane, a greenhouse gas with 34 times more global warming potential than carbon dioxide. Reducing this is critical for meeting Scotland's climate change targets.

Background

The tonnage of waste sent to landfill is measured by compiling a variety of sources, such as reports by the Local Authority on the destination of waste they have collected, and reported returns at accredited waste sites^[92].

Trend

In 2013, 4.06 million tonnes were landfilled. Biodegradable Municipal Waste (BMW) landfilled accounted for 1.08 million tonnes in 2013. Between 2005 and 2013, total waste landfilled decreased by 45%, and BMW landfilled decreased by 50%.

Factors affecting trend

Increased recycling rates and reduced generation of waste has had the effect of reducing landfill rates. These changes are likely to have partly been the result of the increases to landfill taxes. Landfill tax is intended to encourage waste producers to produce less waste, and promote recycling and waste recovery. The 2008 recession occurred alongside a sharp reduction in tonnage landfilled, which may be due to the reduction in the construction industry. Methods of food waste disposal can also have an impact on the tonnage of biodegradable waste sent to landfill, see Food Waste Disposal: 2012 - 2014

Source: Scottish Environment Protection Agency | Metadata

Household Waste Recycling: 2004-2013

Percentage of household waste recycled, composted or prepared for re-use

Why this measure is important

The strong historic dependence on landfill for waste management in Scotland is unsustainable since it involves the depletion of both renewable and finite natural resources. In addition, extracting and processing raw materials may consume large quantities of energy, release pollutants and destroys landscapes and ecosystems. Recycling is one of the most important ways of preventing waste going to landfill.

Background

Local authorities provide data to SEPA via the web based WasteDataFlow system. The WasteDataFlow system holds data on the management of waste collected from households through kerbside collections together with waste that households take to "Bring" sites (such as recycling collection bins at supermarkets) and to civic amenity sites.

Trend

Household waste recycling rates have increased at a slowing pace over time. The household waste recycling rate in 2013 was 42.2%, increasing from 41.2% in 2012 and 16.6% in 2004.^[93]

Factors Affecting Trend

The recycling rate of households is a combination of individual's behaviour and the provision of recycling facilities within local authorities. Information on individual's behaviour is provided in Waste Recycling Behaviour: 2000-2014 and Food Waste Disposal: 2012 - 2014. In recent years local authorities have been increasing the provision of recycling facilities for households.

Source: Scottish Environment Protection Agency | Metadata

Food Waste Disposal Behaviour: 2012 - 2014

% surveyed who reported methods used to dispose of food waste in past week

Why this measure is important

In 2013, Zero Waste Scotland estimated that 566,000 tonnes of food are thrown away by households in Scotland. Food is an essential resource, and wasted food costs households money and reduces the self sufficiency of the economy. Home composting, or provision of food waste caddies, can help divert this waste from landfill into the production of compost or biogas.

Background

Public food waste recycling behaviour is measured as part of the annual Scottish Household Survey. Households were asked what methods, if any, they used to dispose of food waste in the past week. More than one method could be chosen.

Trend

In 2014, 40% of households reported using local authority provided food waste caddies to dispose of their household waste compared with 34% in 2013. There has been an associated decline in households throwing food out with general waste, from 73% in 2012 to 60% in 2014.

Factors affecting trend

Most local authorities in Scotland now operate a food waste caddy system which allows households to separate their food waste for separate collection. Provision varies across local authorities. In some rural areas home composting is being encouraged as an alternative to a street collection service, which may increase uptake in future years.

Source: Scottish Household Survey | Metadata

Waste Recycling Behaviour: 2000-2014

% surveyed who reported recycling waste items in the past month

Why this measure is important

Re-using and recycling waste are vital to achieving sustainable development and Zero Waste objectives. One of the key drivers for this is individual recycling behaviour.

Background

The Scottish Household Survey^[94] provides information on recycling behaviour amongst households in Scotland. In the period 2003-2011, households were asked which, if any, of a selection of certain waste items they had recycled from home in the past month. Before 2003, the same question was asked of a random adult in the household. In 2014 households were asked a modified question asking if, in general, they recycled a selection of materials.

Trend

Since 2003, the percentage of households recycling waste has increased for each item in the survey up until 2011 when the question was suspended until 2014. The most recent data suggests a slight decline in recycling rate for most material types, but an increase for reported recycling of plastic bottles.

Factors affecting trend

Provision of recycling facilities and acceptance of the necessity of recycling has increased steadily over the years, leading to an increase in recycling amongst the general public over the years. This upwards trend has tended to slow recently as easy gains have already been made and harder system problems remain to achieving total recycling, such as the difficulty in providing facilities to tenement flats and remote properties.

Source: Scottish Household Survey | Metadata