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Executive Summary
Scotland produces around 19m tonnes of waste annually. Of this around 16m tonnes are commercial and industrial waste with 7m tonnes being construction and demolition waste. This compares to around 3m tonnes of household waste. In total, commercial and industrial waste makes up around 75-85% of Scotland's waste.
Historically, landfill has been the principal and cheapest waste management option in the UK. Fiscal measures, such as Landfill Tax have started to change this. Between 1994 and 2004 the quantity of waste being disposed of to landfill in Scotland has more than halved, from 15.88 million tonnes to 7.81 million tonnes. This is in large part due to less construction and demolition waste being disposed of over this period (although this trend now appears to be levelling out). To maintain the downward trend in the amount of business waste sent to landfill, the Executive and SEPA are setting the following overall aim:
Overall Aim
To reduce the amount of business waste by at least 200,000 tonnes a year
This aim is based on the work of business support organisations funded by the Executive (see Annex A for a breakdown). We will also work to increase recycling capacity for business waste, primarily through the work of WRAP which is outlined throughout this paper.
Since the initial consultation on the Sustainable Management of Waste from Business and Public Sector Organisations ( www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/08/05101728/17300), SEPA has collated and reported data on waste for 2004 in line with the EU Waste Statistics Regulation. Building on this and other work, SEPA is revising its Waste Data Strategy. This revised Waste Data Strategy will address both municipal and business waste.
Overall Aim
Develop a data strategy which will include collating robust data on commercial and industrial waste.
On advice services, while the Executive does not propose to spend significant amounts of public money to subsidise the management of business waste, it is recognised that businesses need support, information and assistance. Because of this, in 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08 the Executive are allocating the revenue (commonly referred to as consequentials) arising from increases in Landfill Tax back to initiatives benefiting businesses and local authorities.
Overall Aim
Saving businesses in Scotland over £7.5m a year through waste minimisation and diversion from landfill.
Both the Executive and SEPA have received a number of representations from small business about what they perceive as a lack of recycling facilities for business. Recycling facilities for Small and Medium Size Enterprises ( SMEs) may be provided by local authorities, the community sector and the private sector. Clearly, recycling services need to be paid for: they do not come free. The Executive has provided support for trials by Waste and Resources Action Programme ( WRAP) into the collection of recyclate from SMEs. Some councils are reviewing their Trade Waste Services to encourage greater recycling. The Executive and SEPA will consider whether there are any licensing or other issues about business access to recycling centres; and about storage space; Duty of Care responsibilities and bulking up of waste, which may make it harder for SMEs to recycle.
Overall Aim
The Scottish Executive and SEPA will work with all relevant bodies to improve recycling services for SMEs and the wider business community.
Waste policy is underpinned by a range of regulations that define waste and what can be done with it in the interests of protection of the environment and of human health. Regulations can be set at a European, UK or Scotland level and can be specifically about waste or include the impact of waste in wider environmental concepts such as pollution control. SEPA and the Executive appreciate that the range of regulations can appear daunting and complicated, particularly to SMEs, and so will look to engage with business to promote the better regulation agenda in the coming months.
Producer responsibility legislation is in place in relation to packaging and end of life vehicles. It will also extend shortly to waste electrical and electronic equipment ( WEEE). Consultation has taken place on farm plastics and will take place in due course on producer responsibility for batteries.
SEPA will ensure that the Pollution and Prevention Control regime, which impacts on larger business, will take full account of the need for waste minimisation.
Overall Aim
The Scottish Executive and SEPA to ensure advice on waste regulation is accessible to business and its application is fair and consistent.
WRAP run occasional capital grant competitions on recycling and composting infrastructure on behalf of the Executive. Infrastructure funded by WRAP can include business waste as a feedstock.
On land-use planning, the Executive has consulted on the Scottish Planning Policy on Planning and Waste Management ( SPP 10) and is reviewing the General Permitted Development Order. The Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006 includes provision for a National Planning Framework which may designate major infrastructure projects as national developments. The Executive is continuing to monitor local plans to ensure that they accurately reflect the need for waste infrastructure.
Overall Aim
The Scottish Executive and SEPA will continue to improve the planning system to encourage sustainable waste management.
As Scotland moves away from landfill, more sustainable ways of treating waste (eg recycling and composting) grow in importance. The Executive supports WRAP and Remade Scotland programmes to develop markets for recycled products.
Overall Aim
The Scottish Executive will monitor the state of the markets for recycled materials and ensure business opportunities are highlighted
Finally, the Executive is committed to ensuring that the public sector sets a good example in relation to its waste. The Executive has provided support to local authorities to enable them to carry out audits of their own waste and draw up waste prevention plans. The Executive has required non-departmental public bodies to draw up environmental management statements, which includes their work on waste. Envirowise are working with National Health Service bodies to reduce their waste. Furthermore, the Minister for Environment and Rural Development has written to public bodies requesting that they specify the use of recycled materials in construction projects and paper procurement.
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