The treatment and disposal of waste is regulated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency ( SEPA) in order to ensure the protection of the environment and of human health.
There is a wide body of legislation on waste in Scotland in the form of primary legislation and regulation.
Important elements of this legislation are designed to:
- Ensure the safe transport, storage and disposal of waste
- Give duties to local authorities to provide a municipal waste service and make plans for disposal of the waste
- Create obligations for producers of waste to provide for its disposal
- Give duties to local authorities and other agents to keep areas free of waste
- Create penalties for littering and unauthorised disposal of waste.
This legislation has to be kept up to date to ensure its relevance and to reflect developments in European legislation. There are a number of new Directives awaiting transposition. Significant planned measures include limiting local authorities' use of landfill, and making the producers of cars and electrical equipment responsible for the disposal of their products.