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Key Scottish Environment Statistics 2003
waste
Sources of Waste Sent to Landfill: 1990-20001
Million tonnes
| 1990 | 1994 | 1999 | 2000 |
Household | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 2.5 |
Commercial | 1.4 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.6 |
Construction and demolition | 3.7 | 7.7 | 4.3 | 4.0 |
Industrial | 2.4 | 3.9 | 1.7 | 3.1 |
Other | - | - | 0.1 | 0.1 |
Total2 | 9.7 | 15.9 | 10.9 | 11.2 |
The disposal of waste to landfill can result in the loss of many tonnes of valuable materials, release pollutants into the soil and watercourses, and emit methane, a greenhouse gas.
The National Waste Strategy
3 places disposal to landfill at the bottom of its waste hierarchy. The main route for waste disposal in Scotland, however, is landfill, with over 11 million tonnes deposited in 2000. Construction and demolition accounted for 4 million tonnes (35%) of this total. Household waste accounted for 22% of the total in 2000.
The EU Landfill Directive (1993/31/EC) requires a reduction in the amount of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) sent to landfill. By 2010, only 75% of BMW should go to landfill, 50% by 2013 and 35% by 2020, compared to a 1995 baseline.
4
The Landfill tax was introduced in 1996 in order to discourage the disposal of waste to landfill. The tax rate was increased to 10 per tonne for biodegradable waste in 1999, and will continue to rise by 1 each year until 2004, when it will increase to 18.
SOURCE: SCOTTISH OFFICE ,
5 SCOTTISH ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AGENCY
6
Local Authorities Recycling of Household Waste:1999-2000 to 2001-2002
Percentage recycled
| 1999-2000 | 2000-2001 | 2001-2002 |
Rural councils7 | 7.0 | 9.3 | 10.8 |
Urban councils7 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 6.7 |
All councils | 5.1 | 6.1 | 7.9 |
The strong dependence on landfill for waste management in Scotland is not sustainable 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 destroy landscapes and ecosystems. Reducing, reusing and recovering waste are key sustainable development objectives.
Councils obtain waste for recycling by collections at recycling centres (e.g. bottle banks), separate kerbside collection of recyclable materials, or separating waste after collection. In 2001-2002, 7.9% of all household waste collected in Scotland was recycled. A further 2.4% of household waste was used for the recovery of heat, power and other energy sources. The remaining 89.6% was sent to landfill. Rural councils generally recycle more household waste than urban councils. In 2001-2002, rural councils recycled 10.8% of household waste.
In the National Waste Plan,
8 the Executive has set a target of 25% of municipal waste to be recycled by 2006. In 2001-2002, 7.4% of municipal waste, which includes household, commercial and industrial waste, was recycled.
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SOURCE: ACCOUNTS COMMISSION FOR SCOTLAND
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Waste Recycling Behaviour: 2000-2002
Respondents who had recycled waste items in past month (%)
Item | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
Glass | 29 | 28 | 31 |
Paper | 30 | 30 | 33 |
Plastic | 6 | 6 | 8 |
Cans | 9 | 8 | 10 |
One or more of above items | 43 | 43 | 45 |
The reduction, reuse and recycling of household waste are key sustainable development objectives. The Scottish Household Survey
11 provides information on recycling behaviour. Respondents were asked which, if any, of certain waste items they had recycled from home in the past month.
In 2002, 45% of those surveyed said they had recycled some material in the past month. Nearly a third had recycled glass and paper waste, while about one in 10 had recycled plastic and cans.
The chart shows the percentage of respondents who said they recycled some waste material, by local authority area, averaged over years 2001 and 2002.
SOURCE: SCOTTISH HOUSEHOLD SURVEY (DATA), GROS (MAP BOUNDARIES)
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