Reducing the landfilling of biodegradable and other wastes: call for evidence

1. Introduction

How we manage materials is a key part of how we tackle the global threats of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Around four-fifths of Scotland’s carbon footprint comes from the products and services we manufacture, use and throw away. Globally, 90% of biodiversity loss and water stress is caused by extraction and processing of materials, fuels and food^[2].

The Scottish Government, therefore, has an ambition to be a net zero nation by 2045 and published our Circular Economy and Waste Route Map ^[3] which reaffirmed our commitment to delivering a Circular Economy, moving from a "take, make and dispose" model to one where we value materials and keep them in use. To drive progress towards these goals, our Route Map sets out a range of policies that will reduce that amount of residual waste we produce. Where we do produce unavoidable and unrecyclable waste, our aim is to minimise the environmental impacts of its disposal.

As part of this aim, we will end the practice of landfilling biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) in Scotland from December 2025. When landfilled, biodegradable waste breaks down to produce methane, a greenhouse gas that is around 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide. In line with a Climate Change Committee recommendation, the Scottish Government has also committed in our Climate Change Plan^[4] to extending the ban on landfilling BMW to biodegradable non-municipal wastes, subject to further assurances and impact assessments around certain waste streams.

This Call for Evidence (CfE) seeks to support consideration of extending the landfill ban to include non-municipal biodegradable wastes by:

• filling information gaps on the types of waste that could fall under an extended ban, as well as their characteristics and environmental impacts;
• filling information gaps on the feasibility of alternative (non-landfill) treatment options for wastes that could fall under an extended ban;
• supporting consideration of any barriers to diverting wastes from landfill;
• To understand if there are wastes for which landfill remains the best option and
• considering other policies, their timings and interactions with an extended ban that could support the diversion of waste from landfill.

In addition, this CfE uses the opportunity to gather evidence on other wastes, including those that are non-biodegradable, that could be banned from landfill to move the management of these wastes further up the waste hierarchy and to reduce the environmental impact of their disposal.