Surge in amount of waste burnt or dumped

MORE than a million tons of waste wasw incinerated in Scotland last year despite the SNP’s obsession with creating a ‘zero waste’ society.

According to official figures, incineration rates more than tripled in a decade while waste sent to landfill also soared.

Scotland destroyed and dumped more rubbish and hazardous waste in 2021 than in 2020, according to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa).

This is despite the SNP-Green Government promising to make Scotland a ‘zero waste society with a circular economy’ by 2025.

Tory MSP Maurice Golden said: ‘Our increasing reliance on burning rubbish will have knock-on impacts on our carbon emissions and ability to reach net zero.

‘SNP and Green ministers must urgently work to match their lofty rhetoric on the “circular economy” with some real action to make that ambition a reality.’

Across Scotland’s 32 local authorities there was a 7 per cent increase in incineration and 22 per cent rise in landfill in a single year.

The total amount of refuse burned last year was 1.35million tons, a rise of 230 per cent

‘Policies are not working’

from 2011. Landfilled waste rose by more than 500,000 tons to 3.2million, the largest year-onyear increase since 2005.

Gary Walker of Sepa said the findings ‘reflect the reality of the easing of Covid pandemic restrictions’.

Kim Pratt of Friends of the Earth Scotland said the report should act as a ‘wake up call’ for Nicola Sturgeon’s Government.

She said: ‘Its waste policies are not working and big changes are needed.

‘People care a lot about recycling but if we don’t have the right waste management system, our efforts will be in vain.’

Iain Gulland of Zero Waste Scotland said: ‘We need to transform our throwaway culture to one in which products and materials are valued and made to last if we’re serious about tackling climate change.’

The Scottish Government previously pledged to ban sending biodegradable waste to landfill by 2021. The target is now 2026.