Burning issue after Fife Council reveals recycling rates stall

ENVIRONMENT: Kingdom still above Scottish average – but concern over rise in incineration

Fife Council has admitted it could do better after its recycling rate plateaued last year.

While the average recycling rate for Scotland increased by 0.6%, Fife’s figure for 2016 remained unchanged at 54.7% last year.

However, the region was still comfortably above the Scottish average of 45.6%.

Ross Vettraino, convener of Fife Council’s environment protective services and community safety committee, said: “Fife Council has a distinguished history and has always been at the forefront in the United Kingdom when it comes to recycling.

“These figures show that Fife continues to be above the national average when it comes to the percentage of household waste that is recycled.

“However, the council also recognises that there is still work to do.

“A significant percentage of the waste that ends up in landfill could be recycled and I’d encourage residents to use the services the council provides.

“We all have a responsibility to look after the environment and preserve the planet for future generations.”

The amount of Scottish household waste sent to landfill sites in 2017 was 1.11 million tonnes, a decrease of 24,848 tonnes, or 2.2%, from 2016.

Since 2011, the amount of household waste sent to landfill has fallen by nearly a quarter (23.9%).

In 2017, 38.5% of Fife’s household waste was sent to landfill, an improvement from 41% the year before.

Scotland-wide, the figure was 45% in 2017.

Last year, the total quantity of waste incinerated in Scotland was 766,574 tonnes – a 12.2% increase, equal to 83,347 tonnes, from 2016.

Since 2011, the amount of waste incinerated has rocketed by 86.9%, or 356,515 tonnes.

Mark Ruskell, Green MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, said: “It’s good to see the overall waste produced in Fife go down, but the stagnation in recycling rates is something that urgently needs addressing.

“The recent changes Fife Council have introduced further restrict what people can recycle, so we’re unlikely to see an improvement any time soon.

“I’m also greatly concerned about our increasing reliance on incineration... it’s not a viable, long-term option for dealing with waste.”

However, the council also recognises that there is still work to do. ENVIRONMENT CONVENER ROSS VETTRAINO