A Circular Economy Strategy for Scotland

2. Vision and Outcomes

The vision and outcomes below are designed to provide clarity on the change we need to deliver a circular economy, and how that change will be demonstrated. The chapter on the Monitoring and Indicator Framework sets out how we will measure our progress towards achieving the outcomes, which will be delivered through the plans and priorities set out in the rest of the document and will build on the commitments already made in the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map.^[3]

2.1 Our Vision

“By 2045 Scotland will be a net zero and nature positive nation helped directly by the significant progress in transitioning towards a circular economy, with sustainable levels of material use.

Scotland will have a thriving economy that meets societal needs and is based on circular economy principles, and we will have reduced the negative global impact of our production and consumption.

People, businesses and the public sector will have the skills and knowledge to benefit from opportunities arising from a circular economy and these will be fairly distributed across society.”

The vision connects the circular economy to the wider policy landscape, such as the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024, the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map, the Environment Strategy, the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, the Climate Change Plan, Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation, and captures the economic, environmental, international and social impacts that a circular economy brings.

2.2 Our Outcomes

The image is an infographic titled 'Our Outcomes'. It consists of coloured circles with icons and text, illustrating the Strategy’s draft outcomes to assist Scotland’s transition to a circular economy.

The focus of the infographic shows the Strategy’s eight desired outcomes under four themes of ‘Economy’, ‘Environment’, ‘International’ and ‘Social’

Economy Outcomes

Outcome one

• The economic value derived from material use is maximised and environmental impact minimised.

Outcome two

• The Scottish economy is more resilient to disruptions in global supply of materials, including critical raw materials.

Outcome three

• Business and entrepreneurs have opportunities to develop circular economy innovations.

Environment Outcomes

Outcome one

• Non-renewable resource extraction is minimised and renewable resource use is sustainable and just.

Outcome two

• The negative environmental impact of our production, consumption and disposal is minimised and sustainable.

International Outcome

• The negative human and environment impacts experienced internationally from production, consumption and disposal are reduced.

Social Outcomes

Outcome one

• People and communities engage in and benefit from circular activities in a fair and inclusive way.

Outcome two

• Circular behaviours and supportive systems are the norm across business and society.

Economy

Circular economy sectors in Scotland generated an estimated £4 billion to Scotland’s economy in 2021.^[4] We will continue to build on this and, by 2045, will have a circular economy that drives innovation, investment, and the creation of new business models and jobs in line with our just transition to net zero. Companies adopt circular approaches and benefit from lower costs, higher productivity, efficient production, and stronger customer relationships. Our economy is both sustainable and beneficial to people, communities and the environment.

New value is created from materials that would previously have been considered waste, replacing the need for new material and creating new high-value jobs.

We will have reduced our dependency on raw materials, minimising global supply chain shocks and reducing our exposure to resource scarcity, particularly for critical raw materials, by strengthening local supply chains.

Environment

By 2045 we will have reduced demand for, and overall consumption of, virgin materials. Reducing demand for virgin material limits the impact of resource extraction on natural capital, which provides a range of valuable ecosystem services such as water purification or soil provisioning. Given Scotland’s reliance on some imports, those impacts on ecosystems are often particularly keenly felt overseas.

We will recognise and value the importance of resources and have minimised our impact across the supply chain, from production, consumption and disposal of goods and materials.

A more circular economy will also play a critical role in delivering our climate goals, cutting the waste disposed in Scotland which reduces territorial emissions, tackling wider lifecycle emissions associated with the carbon impact of waste produced across all stages, and helping to reduce Scotland’s carbon footprint which is associated with the goods and services we import.

Where resource extraction is still required, such as for critical materials, we will do so in the most circular way possible.

International

We will take responsibility for our ecological and social impact, recognising that our supply chains span the globe. While Scotland is a relatively small part of the global market, we know that Scotland’s material footprint is unsustainably high and our carbon footprint, including emissions embedded in imported goods, is around 20% larger than our territorial emissions.

By reducing consumption and building a more circular economy we will play our part in reducing the negative impacts, for example, of mining and deforestation and the leakage of harmful material into the environment and oceans.

As part of this we will continue to work with the UK Government to push for a meaningful UN Global Plastics Treaty that tackles plastic pollution across its life cycle, and engage with them on their participation at the World Trade Organisation’s Dialogue on Plastics Pollution.

We will also work with the other nations of the UK to consider strengthening controls around export of waste, which will help to reduce negative impacts from pollution on the environment, human rights and human health in other parts of the world.

Social

Our circular economy will be fair, inclusive and built on just transition principles, recognising that the demographic and geographic make-up of different areas may require different solutions and increased education and training. It strengthens our communities by providing local and sustainable employment, including both high-level and entry-level employment, access to lower cost goods, and cleaner, healthier communities with less litter. Increased reuse and repair strengthens local supply chains, lowers costs for households and improves local skills development.

Reduced littering improves the local environment for everyone to enjoy. Our social outcomes seek to capture the need for behaviour and systems change across business, the public sector, charities, communities and householders - promoting choices that enable a transition towards a more sustainable and resource-efficient economy.