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Proposal 6: Mandatory Waste Data Returns from Business
Proposal
To ensure more effective planning and policy making on commercial and industrial waste by taking powers to make regulations requiring businesses to send waste data returns to SEPA.
Background
Under the EU Waste Statistics Regulation, EU Member States are required to send waste data returns to the European Commission. In any event, it is generally agreed that good and reliable waste data is needed, for two main reasons:
- To inform the private sector when it is seeking to invest in waste infrastructure as part of the move away from landfill; and
- To inform policy-makers.
Local authorities already send data to SEPA on municipal waste. In addition, SEPA collect data from businesses by way of surveys. These surveys of businesses are voluntary and returns tend to be low. (The 2004 survey achieved a return rate of 16.9%, representing coverage of 1.7% of all companies in Scotland, and the 2006 survey achieved a return rate of 10.8%, representing 2.3% of all businesses). As part of their Waste Data Strategy, SEPA are also considering how best to use data they may obtain from other sources, such as regulatory returns. In addition, SEPA are considering if they can obtain data information from other sources in the private and public sectors.
How the proposal would work
The Scottish Government would be given a power to make regulations requiring businesses (perhaps with a turnover above a fixed amount) to report on the amounts of waste they produce on a periodic basis (probably annually) to SEPA. The regulations would:
- Set out exemptions from the duty;
- Specify the nature of the information required, the time periods involved and the frequency with which the information needs to be supplied;
- Give powers to SEPA to make arrangements for the collection of the data and to provide advice and guidance to businesses.
Alternatives
SEPA could continue to carry out voluntary surveys, and supplement these with data from other sources (e.g. regulatory returns).
Questions
Consultees are asked:
1. Do you consider that legislation should be made in this area?
2. If so, what form should that legislation take?
3. Do you have any views on the kind of businesses to be covered?
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