Climate change delivery plan: meeting Scotland's statutory climate change targets

The Climate Change Delivery Plan sets out the high level measures required in each sector to meet Scotland's statutory climate change targets, to 2020 and in the long term.


CHAPTER 7: WASTE

Key messages

  • Emissions from waste have to be reduced in 2020 by 1.0 MtCO 2e against 2006 levels.
  • Targets for reducing waste sent to landfill are set in part by EU legislation.
  • Scotland has met the EU 2010 target on biodegradable municipal waste: subsequent targets will be challenging.
  • Scotland has existing detailed targets on municipal waste prevention and recycling.
  • More work is required to obtain better data on the amount of commercial waste and its composition.

Background

7.1 In the absence of further interventions, emissions from waste are expected to reduce by at least 10%, from about 2.5 MtCO 2e in 2006 to about 2.2 MtCO 2e in 2020.

7.2 Key waste policies are driven in part by EU targets on reducing the amount of biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill.

7.3 The UK Government Landfill Tax is a key driver for reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill. Other key drivers include funding, voluntary agreements with industry and producer responsibility legislation.

Meeting Scotland's 2020 and 2050 targets

7.4 Reducing the amount of commercial waste sent to landfill will be achieved through the Landfill Tax, producer responsibility legislation, voluntary agreements with industry and the provision of advice on resource efficiency and waste prevention.

7.5 Continued reductions in the amount of household waste sent to landfill will be achieved through more waste prevention work (eg on food waste); through more recycling and through infrastructure to treat residual waste. The use of anaerobic digestion to reduce food waste to landfill provides one opportunity which needs to be developed further in Scotland.

7.6 The UK Committee on Climate Change suggested provisional figures of a 0.7 MtCO 2e saving from the waste sector in Scotland by 2020. These figures were calculated before it was announced as part of the UK Government Budget that the standard rate of Landfill Tax would continue to increase up to 2013. So, a higher saving is a clear possibility.

The main delivery mechanisms

7.7 Reducing landfill requires one or more of a range of measures including: fiscal, e.g. landfill tax; awareness, e.g. ensuring that businesses and householders have good information on recycling services; ensuring that energy is produced from waste efficiently; and using public procurement to drive waste management outcomes, e.g. using recycled material.

7.8 Work is ongoing to explore the practicalities of landfill bans; the project reports later in autumn 2009.

7.9 Provisions in the waste chapter of the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill could promote waste prevention and re-use,
as well as improving separate collection of waste and thus making recycling easier. All of these would improve use of resources and reduce Scotland's carbon impacts.

7.10 Table 2 in Chapter 2 sets out the milestones, challenges, and actions in the short, medium and long term in this sector and Table 8 below identifies the measures needed to meet the targets in 2020.

National Conversation

7.11 Targets for reducing waste sent to landfill are set in part by EU legislation. The ability of Scotland to negotiate in the EU is likely to increase Scotland's influence over the overarching policy and delivery framework.

7.12 Taxation has a fundamental influence on waste decisions. Greater flexibility to define a fiscal regime for Scotland would help align taxation regimes with Scotland's economic and environmental priorities - for example, landfill tax and the aggregates levy are currently set at UK level.

7.13 Other areas where additional powers for Scotland could help to contribute to meeting climate change targets are the regulations covering excess packaging, to enable a more aggressive focus on packaging reduction, and the regulation of waste exports.

Table 8: Delivery Plan for the Waste Sector

Measure

Required measures (34% Scottish target, 42% Scottish target or Transformational measure)

Action

Progress

What more do we need to do?

WASTE (2.5 MtCO 2e in 2006)

Reducing emissions from municipal waste

34% Scottish target

60% of municipal waste to be recycled/composted by 2020.

Minimise biodegradable waste sent to landfill in line with EU Landfill Directive targets in 2010, 2013 and 2020.

Up to 25% can be used for Energy from Waste in high efficiency plants.

Anaerobic digestion for biodegradable waste.

New National Waste Management Plan in 2010.

Municipal recycling rates increasing but pace of increase is slowing down.

More landfill gas being captured - and amount of waste sent to landfill falling.

2010 target on reducing the amount of biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill has been met. However, 2013 target is very challenging.

Carbon savings in Scotland and elsewhere identified from life cycle analysis

Aim to stop growth in municipal waste by 2010: latest figures show waste growth is stabilising.

AD to treat food waste is coming forward - now receives double Renewables Obligation Certificates - although close attention is needed on progress in this area.

Ban biodegradable waste to landfill.

Further progress on minimising waste, increasing re-use and recycling.

Pay close attention to progress.

Reducing emissions from commercial and industrial waste

34% Scottish target

Reduce biodegradable waste going to landfill.

Anaerobic digestion for biodegradable waste (see above).

Reuse or recycle 70% of Construction and Demolition waste by 2020: new target in EU Waste Framework Directive, which we are already close to meeting.

UK landfill tax escalator drives reductions in landfill - has been extended to 2013.

Producer responsibility obligation in a number of these areas.

Voluntary agreements on waste with a number of industry sectors are in place or planned.

Government supports advice to business on resource efficiency and waste prevention.

Ban more waste from landfill: UK landfill ban project reports in September.

Further progress on minimising waste, increasing re-use and recycling.

Contact

Email: Central Enquiries Unit ceu@gov.scot

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