Decarbonisation of residual waste infrastructure: Scottish Government response

Implementation of DRS (March 2024)

Continue delivery of the Recycling Improvement Fund (ongoing)

Deliver extended producer responsibility for packaging, working with the other UK administrations (from 2024)

Continue to work with the other parts of the ETS Authority regarding the inclusion of incineration in the UK ETS (ongoing)

Develop proposal, set out in our Route Map Consultation, to work with the waste and resources sector, through a sector-led plan, to accelerate the reduction of the carbon impacts of existing incineration plants, including through stopping fossil-based plastic from being unnecessarily incinerated.

Delivery of Heat Network Fund (ongoing)

Support expansion of heat networks, where effective, through Heat Network Support Unit (ongoing)

Consider how biogenic carbon is included in future research commissioned by Scottish Government (2024).

Continue to work with the other parts of the ETS Authority regarding the inclusion of incineration in the UK ETS. The Authority consulted on this issue as part of a wider consultation on the ETS last year and intends to publish a response later this year.

Continue to work with the UK Government to accelerate the ban on exporting plastic waste to non-OECD countries (ongoing)

Continue to work with potential investors in plastic reprocessing capacity in Scotland (ongoing).

Commitment to undertake a detailed feasibility study of opportunities for developing NETs in Scotland ready for the early 2030s. This will identify specific sites and applications of NETs, including developing work to support policy on Direct Air Capture and its role within NETs in our future energy system. The feasibility study research is underway. The final report containing recommendations to government and proposed NETs implementation pathways is expected in mid-2023.

Continue to disperse £5 million CO2 Utilisation Challenge Fund (ongoing).

Expand the existing landfill gas capture program (from 2023).

Undertake research to explore approaches to managing decreasing levels of landfill gas and on landfill gas capture, and liaise with industry to understand the consequences of the current landfill management financial incentives (2023/2024).