Scotland's circular economy and waste route map to 2030

Executive summary

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a different approach to our economy, one where we move from a "take, make and dispose" model to one where we value materials and keep them in use. We recognise that this will be a challenging task and that to achieve this Scotland needs to fundamentally change how it produces, consumes, and manages resources.

We can see the day-to-day impacts that climate change and the nature crises are having on our communities, our society, our economic wellbeing, and our environment – both here in Scotland and globally. The climate emergency has intensified our focus on emissions reduction, and on how we view and treat our precious resources.

Founded on evidence and collaboration over the past 3 years, this Circular Economy and Waste Route Map is part of the Scottish Government's response to these challenges.

It is designed to drive progress on three key fronts:

1. Setting the strategic direction and laying foundations for how we will deliver our system-wide, comprehensive vision for Scotland's circular economy from now to 2030 – based on Responsible Production, Responsible Consumption, and Maximising Value from Waste and Energy.

2. Setting out priority actions from now to 2030 to accelerate more sustainable use of our resources across the waste hierarchy. We acknowledge the progress we have made against our existing 2025 waste reduction and recycling targets, the areas we have fallen short, and the lessons we can learn as we set out the framework for what comes next.

3. Reducing emissions associated with resources and waste. The Route Map sets out the opportunities we will take to decarbonise the waste sector ahead of the draft Climate Change Plan, to be published in 2025, and our approach to tackling the whole-life climate impact of Scotland's resource management and waste.

This Route Map outlines which actions we will prioritise to 2030, by when, and how we will work with others to drive sustainable use and management of our resources. This will lay the groundwork for delivery of Scotland's circular economy up to 2030. It is aimed at everyone who has a role to play: the people and communities of Scotland, businesses, the third sector, and the public sector, including local government.

The direction and actions set out in this Route Map are complemented by the new powers in the landmark Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024, and in some places are dependent on these powers. The circular economy strategy will build on this Route Map looking beyond 2030 and will identify priority sectors and systems taking a strategic longer term view up to 2045. It will consider economic drivers, behaviour change and international impact as well as setting out the broader vision, indicators, outcomes, and objectives that will be used to monitor progress.

This document is the final Route Map and takes into account the feedback from two consultations that were held in 2022 and in early 2024. Analysis of responses to the most recent consultation showed that there were consistently high levels of support for the actions.

Measures in this Route Map are grouped under four strategic aims, which reflect the span of the waste hierarchy:

1: Reduce and reuse

2: Modernise recycling

3: Decarbonise disposal

4: Strengthen the circular economy

For each strategic aim, we set out the priority actions we will focus on, and the further actions we will seek to progress, between now and 2030. We recognise there is a need to prioritise to provide the certainty that households, businesses, the public and third sectors need to make changes, and support and invest in a circular economy.

The Scottish Government is working within the current fiscal constraints to deliver on 11 priority actions to drive progress, setting out delivery timescales that have been arrived at through collaboration and listening to local government and business community partners to ensure they remain affordable and deliverable. The Scottish Government is committed to progressing a circular economy at pace and will continually look to increase the speed of delivery where possible, taking account of partner feedback and the fiscal situation.

The way material flows around the economy is complicated and influenced by everyone in the supply chain. To deliver system-wide transformation, our actions must be coordinated, properly sequenced, and designed to deliver cumulative impact and wider benefits to Scotland. Our priority actions are being designed and implemented to maximise impact, both on their own terms, and working together as a strategic package. This allows priority measures to take a targeted, coordinated approach to specific materials across the waste hierarchy, recognising the variation in emissions or environmental impact of production, consumption or waste management of different materials and products.