10 million tonnes of waste generated

ALARM has been raised by campaigners as the waste produced in Scotland increased by half a million tonnes in a year.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) published figures on Tuesday showing 10.16 million tonnes of waste was generated in 2022, a 6.2% increase on the 596,000 tonnes in the previous year.

It has also been estimated that 6.16 million tonnes was recycled in 2022, up 7.5% from 2021.

The amount of waste recovered or disposed of by incineration was 1.4 million tonnes, up 8.3%.

Friends of the Earth Scotland said the level of waste being disposed of was “truly alarming”.

Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner for the group, added: “Reducing the amount of waste being created in the first place is the best way to reduce its environmental impacts, and when it is created, we must recycle as much of it as possible.

“We need to start valuing our materials properly if we are going to make any progress in tackling the climate and nature emergencies.

“Our current levels of consumption and waste are also causing huge amounts of harm to people around the world.”

She said politicians had the “perfect opportunity” to improve on the recycling system with the Circular Economy Bill currently before Holyrood but she said that “strong targets” would be needed.

Sepa said the waste figures reflect the increase in the proportion of construction and demolition waste as industry bounces back from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The figures also showed Scottish recycling rates reached an all-time high.

Vicki White, head of materials at Sepa, said: “While it’s clear there’s more to do, this latest data is encouraging and a key milestone in our journey to a net zero economy.”