Waste

Introduction Waste

Waste is produced by households, commerce and industry, with the majority of it (85%) coming from commerce and industry. Managing waste as a resource has an important role to play in achieving sustainable economic growth, and a Greener Scotland. This means eliminating the unnecessary use of raw materials, fostering sustainable design, resource efficiency and waste prevention, reusing products wherever possible, and recovering value from products when they reach the end of their lives. In recognition of this, the Scottish Government has adopted Zero Waste as a goal.

Policy Aims

Scottish Planning Policy sets out national planning policy on waste management and should be read in conjunction with Planning Advice Note 63 - Waste Management Planning.

The Scottish Government published its Zero Waste Plan in June 2010. The Plan's Annex B sets out the contribution of the planning system to deliver waste management and treatment infrastructure.

The Zero Waste Plan introduces new targets for all waste by 2025:

  • 70% of waste recycled, and
  • a maximum of 5% of waste sent to landfill.

The Zero Waste Plan sets a long-term policy framework for future waste management in Scotland, including:

  • A strong emphasis on preventing waste wherever possible.
  • Progressive bans on sending particular materials to landfill.
  • Separate collection of different materials, starting with food waste.
  • Replacing the current 25% cap on the proportion of waste collected by local authorities that is treated in energy-from-waste plants with a new approach applying to all waste, regulating which materials may be treated by energy from waste.
  • A new approach to measuring waste, based on its carbon value rather than weight.

In planning terms, the National Planning Framework (NPF) identifies the spatial planning dimension of waste management. To ensure waste management requirements are met, all development plans must identify appropriate locations for required waste management facilities, where possible allocating specific sites, and provide a policy framework which enables the development of these facilities.

Publications

PAN 63 - Waste Management Planning

Zero Waste Plan

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Contact

For further information on Waste please contact:

Graham Marchbank
0131 244 7525

Page updated: Friday, September 07, 2012