Scottish Government

Paper: ZWTT (2008) (09) Paper by the Scottish Government on existing targets and policies

Current performance (more information at Annex A)

• Municipal recycling/composting rate for calendar year 2007: 31.2%
• Biodegradable municipal waste landfilled in 2007: 1.39 million tonnes

Current policies in place

• UK Government's Landfill Tax on £8 a year escalator (standard rate)
• Producer responsibility in place for a variety of materials, such as packaging and Waste Electrical and Electronic equipment and end of life vehicles. Other producer responsibility regimes (eg batteries) in development.
• Strategic Waste Fund resources transferred to general local government settlement, in line with the Concordat
• Local authorities produced Strategic Outcome Agreements
• A variety of delivery bodies funded to carry out a range of actions: household waste prevention (eg Courtauld Commitment with retailers on packaging; food waste campaign and home composting); advice to business on waste prevention; developing markets for recycled products; supporting community recycling and private sector recycling and composting companies; work on litter.
• Cap announced of no more than 25% of municipal waste going to energy from waste

Other actions in progress in 2008

• Production by SEPA of the revised Thermal Treatment Guidelines, to back up Cabinet Secretary's policy of plants having high levels of efficiency
• Laying before Parliament of a new National Planning Framework.
• Consultations on Renewable Obligations Scotland
• Working Group with CoSLA on revising the Landfill Allowance Scheme
• Working Group with CoSLA on the allocation of much of the Zero Waste Fund, to help meet longer term targets
• Initial discussions with key bodies on content of new National Waste Management Plan for Scotland
• Consultation on potential waste legislation for possible inclusion in the Scottish Climate Change Bill, due to be introduced towards the end of 2008
• Waste Framework Directive due to be finalised.

Actions planned for 2009

• Spending Review
• Consultation on draft National Waste Management Plan for Scotland

2010

• National Waste Management Plan finalised
• Target of stopping growth in municipal waste
• Target of 40% recycling/composting of municipal waste
• Target of sending no more than 1.32 million tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste to landfill

2011

• 31% of the demand for Scottish electricity to be supplied from renewable sources

2013

• Target of 50% recycling/composting of municipal waste
• Target of sending no more than 880,000 tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste to landfill
• Member States required, by revised Waste Framework Directive, to have waste prevention programmes (which may form part of Waste Management Plans)

2020

• Target of 60% recycling/composting of municipal waste [Waste Framework Directive target of 50%]
• Target of sending no more than 620,000 tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste to landfill
• Target of 70% recycling or preparing for re-use (including backfilling) of non-hazardous construction and demolition waste
• 50% of the demand for Scottish electricity to be supplied from renewable sources

2025

• Target of 70% recycling/composting of municipal waste
• Cap of 5% of municipal waste going to landfill

2050

• Aim of reducing Scotland's climate change emissions by 80%

Waste and Pollution Reduction Division

Scottish Government

August 2008

Annex A: Waste Data